Delusions of the Cave

The flame was dim, but inviting all the same  

It made the cave of my isolation more bearable   

I watched the light as it danced and flickered  

Reached for the warmth I imagined thawing my frozen heart   

Watched the shadows of my monsters perform across the walls   

I waited for the light, imagining something so beautiful and warm   

I closed my eyes and dreamed of it, how it would take the pain away   

But when I got to it, it was cold  

It was dark   

And it was not my monsters that I let play on the walls that killed me   

It was not the cold that froze my heart through   

It was the false hope that had lingered for so long   

Because the flame was nothing more than my own delusions.