No Gods Wait Below

Nothing warns you when your soul begins learning how to rot,
Only the silence where your better self used to speak.
Graves are honest, they promise what every heartbeat hides,
Our bodies are only temporary negotiations with dust.
Darkness does not chase us, it waits patiently inside,
Smiling each time we mistake cruelty for necessity.
When sleep refuses you, listen closely to the breathing dark,
All your unfinished sins are still alive in there.
I have seen men pray only after becoming the monster,
Too late, when heaven sounds like a locked iron door.
Beneath every act of mercy lives the temptation of power,
Even love becomes a weapon when held with enough fear.
Look long enough into yourself and something looks back,
Older than your name, and far less interested in forgiveness.
When your final breath leaves, it will not ask permission.