Author's Note: This is a MizuhikiShipping poem. I wrote it because the Mizuhiki chapter in my story 'Romances and Second Chances' self-admittedly reeked, and I wanted to make it up to all my readers. Hopefully, they don't mind a bit of poetry.
I wrote this today. Poetry's not something I do much of, because it kills the art form unless it's a pure burst of emotion. This is written in pantoum format; look it up, if you really care.
Enjoy… or not, if poetry's not your cup of tea. I'd understand, I'm not much of a poetry person myself.
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Mark of Cain
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I
He was a broken man from the moment they met
She told herself about God's grace
But never again could she forget
That dreadful look upon his face.
II
She told herself about God's grace
She had known it so well from birth
That dreadful look upon His face
When she denied a being's worth.
III
She had known it so well from birth
Like a song out of trend
When she denied a being's worth
It would haunt her in the end.
IV
Like a song out of trend
He entered her life
It would haunt her in the end
Like a plunging, bloody knife.
V
He entered her life
Already so deep in pain
Like a plunging, bloody knife
He'd been destroyed again and again.
VI
Already so deep in pain
She didn't know what to offer
He'd been destroyed again and again
His heart had gone out of its coffer.
VII
She didn't know what to offer
To even give to a friend
His heart had gone out of its coffer
And he didn't know if he'd see it again.
VIII
To even give to a friend
She dared offer a hand
And he didn't know if he'd see it again
Marked as he was with such a brand.
IX
She dared offer a hand
But as he backed away, afraid
Marked as he was with such a brand
He knew she would never have stayed.
X
But as he backed away, afraid
Hurt filled her eyes, as though deceived
He knew she would never have stayed
So he would be the first to leave.
XI
Hurt filled her eyes, as though deceived
Mournful eyes upon a hardened heart
So he would be the first to leave
And forever they would be apart.
XII
Mournful eyes upon a hardened heart
See only darkness in the pitch
And forever they would be apart
Each to find a colliding niche.
XIII
'See only darkness in the pitch,'
'Watch it consume you,' her mother said
Each to find a colliding niche
And each to likely end up dead.
XIV
'Watch it consume you,' her mother said
Leaving her to think the rest
'And each to likely end up dead
Because neither could be the best.'
XV
Leaving her to think the rest
About the boy who spoke so callously
Because neither could be the best
The best will crush them mercilessly.
XVI
About the boy who spoke so callously
She pined constantly for days
The best will crush them mercilessly
She knew this, and only knew to pray.
XVII
She pined constantly for days
His departure would lead to no good
She knew this, and only knew to pray
That maybe something could, would, should.
XVIII
His departure would lead to no good
She could tell from angry headlines unfurled
That maybe something could, would, should
Change his heart, and they could change the world.
XIX
She could tell from angry headlines unfurled
He was now a public enemy
Change his heart, and they could change the world
Neither seemed terribly likely.
XX
He was now a public enemy
And so she left emotion at her back
Neither seemed terribly likely
Defeat and a damaged heart to crack.
XXI
And so she left emotion at her back
But never again could she forget
Defeat and a damaged heart to crack
He was a broken man from the moment they met.