Drag me down with you if you want,
take notice as we reach levels you haven't got too,
I carved my name in the walls on my last climb up,
you'll see how deep, once we hit the bottom,
dark isn't it?

Let your eyes slowly adjust and look around,
you'll see the cradle I was laid in after birth,
and next to it is the bed I made by hand,
where I lay and rest to tend my wounds while I'm here,
there's still wet bandages on the ground,
tell me can you feel the pain resonate in the air?

The stench of the rotting parts of me I've laid to rest,
their headstones are in the corner over there,
a phoenix carved into each to remind me how far I've come,
a pile of ashes in front of each for the times I've risen,
tell me can you smell the smoke lingering in the walls?

The dry blood stains the ground around you,
watch your step here, the pile's still kind of fresh,
I don't think your aware of what you did bringing me here,
for this is my darkness, I was born here,
tell me do you think you can bare your own?

I've kept spares of tools on the shelf over there,
you'll need them to make your way out,
don't rely on my hooks and foot holes on the way up,
half of them are loose and crumble,
make a bed before you start so you've got a place to land,
your gonna fall countless times,
and most will be right before you get out, so make it thick,
I tell you this because I learned the hard way.

I want you to be aware,
there are things on the way up that will kill you,
for the walls are lined with poetry and words never said,
they're also dated so you know when it happened,
they WILL cause you to fall, willingly.
I can't control how many of them will,
but when you hit, look beside you,
you'll see how hard I broke when I landed,
you just won't be able to see how long I layed there,

I hope you get up sooner than I did.

The shovel is under the bed,
the rocks that weighed me down can be used for your stones,
flint's under the pillow for when your ready to burn,
be brave for yourself,
the younger you needs who you are now,
and the story will be the same each time you choose to rise,
tell me are you as strong as you claim?

I never doubted you, but I sense your own fear in the air,
I didn't bring you here,
so remember the claw marks in the wall aren't from trying to stop you,
they're from me trying to gain myself,
you'll understand what I mean soon enough,
tell me are you ready to climb?

I know it won't seem fair but,
I won't be waiting at the top,
for when you make it out alone,
the world will feel new,
leave the rest of your turmoil at the bottom,
when you find yourself back there again,
it will be there to comfort you,
to remind you of all you've overcome.

But remember when you get to the top,
it is my darkness you climbed through,
so remember everything you learn on your journey out,
for the next time you fall,
it will be to the bottom of you,
no bed, no tools, it will be blank and brand new.

So as I begin my bare hand ascent,
I bid you power to pull through,
I can only hope the one waiting as you reach the pinnacle,
Is you.


© Nick Wallace