The Caged Raven

I am a monster. A demon.

Unsew my seams
Look inside if you dare
Do you still like what you're seeing now

My life had no meaning but to destroy. I was destined to become an accomplice to the devil himself.

Secrets and sins
All exposed spilling out
Am I still safe here on this fragile ground

Very few knew me well enough to know who I really am, to know whose daughter I really was. They said that I was their friend, their partner, in a false voice. I knew they were scared of me, I knew they thought I was creepy, dark, and a monster. They were afraid of me.

And so I hid in the shadows, trying to ignore what had been destined since I was very young. I hid in the shadows, ignoring the society that I would soon destroy.

Inside out before you now
Bare these bones and lay me down
This suicide feels so alive
Will you take me
As I am
Inside out

And then I met you, and you changed my life. .. you changed me. You lead me out into the light, out into society, out into the world. You called me beautiful, you called me brave, you called me with love, you called me without knowing what I was to become. . . what I shall lead to our world.

Moving in silence
Feel the rush hold me down
Is this too real
What you're feeling now

It eventually came out. . .it all came out. The truth, my anger, my suffering. You were going to leave me, I knew it. I was going to be alone once again and I would just go back to the shadows which, with open arms, invited me back into it's cool darkness.

But no, you did not leave me. You stood by my side. You told me that you would forever love me. You told me that you would never leave me.

Ecstasy rising
Giving in, no thinking
Love will you save me
Or just turn away

You kiss me passionately every night. Your love penetrated my cold exterior, my cold interior. Your burning passion melted away the ice surrounding my heart. I knew it was dangerous to let this happen, to let my guard down. My mother, the monks, all who I have known, knew it was too dangerous to let me feel this. To let me feel at all. They all knew I was a monster, a demon. They all saw me as my father's child, and not as the caged raven that I am.

And I couldn't keep myself from thinking that you, my love, will eventually think of me the same way.

Inside out before you now
Bare these bones and lay me down
This suicide feels so alive
Will you take me
As I am
Inside out

Will you take me as I am, as the caged raven? Will you love me as I am, and not in fear of who I am? Will you take me as I am, not fearing what I shall become and what I shall destroy?

Up on this highway Inside out
Might just come crashing down Inside Out
Reach out for me because I am

Inside out before you now
Bare these bones and lay me down this suicide
This suicide feels so alive
Will you take me
As I am

Please, take me as I am. Love me for who I am. Love me as a father would, love me as a friend would, love me as a lover would.

Don't give up on me, please. I cannot change myself, and it is almost impossible to change what is destined. I can only ask for your acceptance.

Please, don't give up on me yet. Don't make whatever life I may have had, come crashing down on my cloaked figure.

Inside you'll see me
This suicide inside out
Feels so alive you'll see me
Bare these bones and lay me down inside out
You'll see me
Inside out

You'll eventually see inside my mind. You'll eventually see me on the inside.

You'll eventually see beneath these clothes. You'll eventually see whats on the outside as well.

When you see all this, you will be frightened of this power, filled with adrenaline to run away or fight back.

Fight or flight.

I hope you will choose to fight. I hope you will choose to fight my inner and outer demons and I hope that you will conquer them with your burning love.

But I still wonder whether you will accept all of these demons with open arms.

Will you take me as I am?

Inside and out?

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