You looked my way when shadows ruled my soul,
When I wore the mask of beasts, not whole
Dominant, selfish, blind to the right,
Unmoved by mercy, lost in might.

Yet something in you sparked a change,
A warmth that felt both deep and strange.
I shed the guise, let truth appear,
Unveiled my eyes, drew you near.

But when I stepped into the light,
Your gaze had turned, lost from sight.
It wasn’t me you saw or knew
Another face had captured you.

Too long I lingered in my cage,
Too slow to temper pride with sage.
So now I wear another guise,
Pretending still behind these eyes.

Not beast, not self, not love, not fire
Just quiet ash of lost desire.
And though you’re gone, I watch, I learn
That sometimes hearts don’t wait their turn.