The War of the Mind

My mind, once loyal, sharp and clear,

now whispers lies that draw me near.

It pulls at threads that should remain,

a constant ache, a silent strain.

It works against me, twist by twist,

a maze I cannot exit from,

it wraps its fingers round my wrist,

and tells me things I cannot shun.

It holds the keys to every door,

then locks them tight with quiet sneers,

it shapes my thoughts to something more,

and molds my fears into my tears.

Once my servant to my will,

it now commands with bitter grace.

A voice that speaks against me still,

a traitor's smile on its face.

I beg for quiet, a breath of peace,

but my own mind will never cease.

It builds its walls, it digs its holes,

a war inside my very soul.

And though I fight with all I've got,

my brain holds sway, it knows my flaws.

A prison built with fragile thought,

and I am bound by unseen jaws.

For all my strength, for all my might,

I am it's prisoner in the night,

my mind, a beast with claws that tear-

it is the war cannot share.