Under The Rose (Upon The Cross)

I'm just a ghost of what was real
A broken mage without his will
All colours fade and turn to grey
Without your heart, I'm cast astray
The walls close in, the light goes out
Like one night of laughter for a life of doubt

You’re all I love, you rule my dreams
You’re all my faith, all my belief
Where are you now? Where have you been?
Since you were gone there’s no more me
I'm by the door, I see the key
Just tell me how may I have the nerve

Remember those love scenes we played so long ago
To earn to live our dreams that lie across that door
Reach out and take the key
You have to face your fears and let them go

I'm not so sure of what is real
I hear your voice, your pure appeal
I trust your words, they give me strength
To carry on and build my fate
Now it’s my turn, a leap of faith
Into the dark, one step away

Embrace the memories of love within your soul
I'm the child you feared was lost, so long ago
Reach out! My hand is here
We have to plant this seed and let it grow

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome back to the circus!
First up! Direct your gaze to the majestic animals
Trained no, broken through techniques of torture
Starvation, beatings, fear, terror, and blood!
Watch as these poor creatures
Reduced to shadows of their former selves
Perform unnatural feats for your amusement
With every leap, every trick
You’ll see the brilliance of human cruelty in forcing animals to defy their very instincts
Just to pull a pathetic little smirk or
Dare I say, a judgmental chuckle from your lips

And now the graceful trapezist
Trained since childhood, forced into those tight costumes
Not for her comfort, but for your entertainment
One wrong move and her spine is shattered, her life is gone
All so you can hold your breath in thrilling anticipation
Or, perhaps, feel a flicker of desire for her body

Behold, the Globe of Death!
These daredevils risk their lives for your gasps
And if they slip up?
Well, it’s a quick way to turn this show into a bloodbath
After all, death in the spotlight is better than a life in the shadows

Who could forget the clown?
The bringer of joy!
A man who wears a greasepaint mask not to hide his face
But to cover a bottomless pit of despair
Behind every painted grin is a tear
Behind every joke is a scream that will never be heard

And finally, the luckiest one of them: The magician!
He know and you know that there’s no real magic here
No wonder, no mystery. It’s all a lie
You watch with wide eyes as he distracts you with one hand while the other pulls off the trick
But let’s be honest
The real charm isn’t in the trick
It’s in the way you love to let yourselves be deceived

Now be prepared! The time has come!
The curtain is rising, the stage is set, and the lights are blindingly bright
Take your seats, hold your breath
For the greatest show on Earth!
Let the show begin!