nothing
nothing.
I.
give me nothing and receive nothing in return.
says i, but nothing is all i've ever held
right within my palm as it fades
like a dying fire's glow.
'tis nothing more complex than nothing's worth.
nothing is existence right before birth.
says i, i have always been nothing and nevermore.
give me not its mysteries,
give me not that worthless woe.
define emptiness nestled in your palm.
'tis nothing and i fill it with more nothing.
says i, anything but more nothing!
no one knows of nothing,
no one pays attention.
no one thinks of nothing's goods
nor nothing's virtuous hand.
nothing is the possibility to which the single figure stands.
a blank canvas, freshly fallen snow
all nothing but none so swallowed in woe.
says i, listen you
the one who is loved
and never tries
you cannot understand the plights of nothing.
i love you, says she, but never embraces me.
i love you, says he, but always from afar.
i love you, says them, but if choices arise second best i will always be.
says i, that is the plight of nothing.
says i, the dark to you the light,
always nothing nothing nothing
always but the shadow
drowning in your glow.
[musical inspiration Mysteries Abound]
II.
what's it like to be nothing?
says i, lonely.
no one speaks to you when you're nothing
because no one knows you're there.
scream loud but no one hears
because no one will ever care.
without nothing i could never live.
says i, so it will always be.
you, the radiance
the loved
the talented
the glow.
i, the murk
the feared
the stupid
the cold.
there are those who love you,
tucked beneath your wing.
do you not see them?
do they not mean a thing?
says i, they dream of light
of the sun on their face
and loathe my embrace
of my eternal nothing.
but they will smile at me when they awake
and proclaim their love of all my being
unaware that actions speak
much louder than their speech.
are you filled with that much hate?
do you scorn so many that
you cannot see
your gold-hearted lovers?
says i, do not lecture me
the one guilty of the same crime.
truly, do you love me?
yes yes.
i do i do.
says i, then pull me forth from nothing
give me something
anything that isn't nothing.--
no reply!
now you see
that your words are like me,
nothing.
because they are only ever words
and nothing more
nothing nothing nothing,
forever more.
[musical inspiration Heaven's Not Enough]
III.
nothing, i am angry
at her who causes me so much wrong.
says i, be happy in your anger
for she who makes you feel.
it is a negative emotion,
drowns forever in hate.
i do not want to hate her
but i hate her so.
says i, relish in that hate!
hate hate hate and be content!
such a wonderful emotion
that of ever loving hate!
for only the ones you love most
will you ever come to hate.
i cannot hate
but i always love.
that love it seems
leaves you outside looking in.
for where is that one special person
for me like she is to you?
where is that she for me?
that one that i depend on?
that i can let in? where is she?
she is no one because she never was.
i wait for no one.
but why?
says i, because i am nothing.
can nothing not embrace
another loving face?
says i, no because i am nothing
and every time that i have tried
they leave
and run always back to you.
for that is the plight of nothing.
no one ever tries to understand you,
or call you their truest friend.
because i am nothing.
you give so much but receive nothing in return?
why must that be so?
says i, i have much to give
and give it i always do
but it is nothing that i give
even when nothing is what they ask for.
do not pity me fortunate one
for you are the same as them
perhaps the worst.
you came to me in woe about love,
the kind of which i will never have.
selfish, wretched light.
i hate you.
[musical inspiration Is It Real?]
IV.
the truest person gives
and never asks for anything in return.
says i, and so the nothing who gives
is always left out
and the one who gives none
sits upon her throne
bathed in glory and in love
without ever turning a single stone.
why are you not content
with simply knowing
that you made a difference?
says i, there's the rub
of being nothing.
because i am nothing
i want everything
something
anything
love.
so nothing gives
and then nothing is gained.
so nothing keeps giving
until there is nothing left
and nothing is more nothing
while everyone smiles holding nothing's gifts.
my eye for the blind,
my heart for the lonely,
my arm for the ones who cannot love,
my smile for the sad,
and my legs for the defeated
so that they can once more stand.
i give it all and then end up a shell
so that i am now nothing more than i was before
giving still more in hopes
to get something in return.
but it never comes, that gift of anything.
and so i remain nothing
and you remain something
and i keep waiting for
that anything that will never come.
[musical inspiration Rooftop]
V.
where? where?
where are you headed?
says i, i'm finished.
through.
done at last.
i no longer want to be nothing.
moving on? joining me at last?
says i, no,
i cannot
because i am still nothing.
i have tread that path before
and ended up still at nothing.
so i will truly become nothing.
i will become more than nothing.
i will be the nothing of nothing's nothing.
despite everything!
nothing is something!
foolish
that you cannot see.
says i, what would you have me believe
the one who has everything?
i am nothing.
lonely
not loved.
only lied to.
at twilight who is it
that crawls into my arms
and chases all troubles of the day away?
nothing.
when i cry who is it
that crawls to my side
and chases all my sorrow of the day away?
nothing.
when i die who is it
that crawls to my grave
and weeps of my loss?
nothing.
runaway then?
give up all hope?
says i, i did that
so long ago.
it's only now that i have finally stopped waiting
and accepted that all i can ever be
is more nothing.
goodbye.
[musical inspiration The Saddest Song I've Got]
VI.
hello? hello?
whose there?
hello, nothing
my dear old friend.
you know
of all the something that i am
it was only nothing
that i could understand.
says i
too late.
says i
too late.
says i
too late
i'm no longer here.
[musical inspiration Any Other Name]