In the shadowed alleys of the mind I dwell,

A bittersweet curse, a seductive spell.

You’ll cry out for me, if ever you fall,

And I will come running when I hear your call.

I’ll promise you freedom and peace of mind,

But leave you in shackles and chains that bind.

I am the hunger that never fades,

The scars on your arms that cannot be erased.

I am the devil in a lovely disguise,

The veins of the fallen is where I reside.

I am the echo in a hollow heart,

I’ll shatter your soul and tear you apart.

I am the ascent, the rise, the fall,

The remnants of a life you can no longer recall.

I am the shadow that clings to your back,

The thief of your pride and the morals you lack.

I am the urge that you cannot fight,

That beckons to you in the debt of night.

I slide through your veins, a tender caress,

A master of masks, an artist of stress.

I offer you heaven, but drag you to hell.

In the chasm of craving is where you'll dwell.

With each desperate plea, I tighten my hold,

I steal your soul, and swallow it hole.

I am the fire, the ice, the storm,

I am the norm that you can't reform.

You reach for the stars, but I drag you down.

In the depths of despair, you'll wear my crown.

You’ll say it’s over, but I’ll know it’s a lie.

I am your master, ‘til the day that you die.