Gladiator

My steps are sure now,
Lightning licking at my heels
With each strike.

I used to be strong
But then you put me in a cage
Chained me in,
Weakened me to the point
I ended up doing your job for you.

If anyone was going to be strong enough to tame me
It sure as shit wasn't going to be you,
So you convinced me:
I was my own worst enemy.
I tore at my heart
Ripped my soul to shreds
Trying to dig out every thorn
Every claw
Every weapon I had in my arsenal -
Down to my sharp tongue.

You must have enjoyed the show
Turning this wild beast into a cowering creature.
You must have felt strong
Big
Invincible
As I became more and more dependent on your scraps,
Gagging on my own truth,
The warrior I was
Fighting me every step
Until I finally chained myself in the corner.

But then someone looked through the bars,
Looked me in the eye,
Told me to get up,
And I didn't think I could anymore
Until I remembered
How strong I used to be.
I lifted one knee from the floor
Remembering what it'd felt like to stand
Sturdy on my own two feet.
And that was the beginning of the end.

It took time
But once I decided I could,
Oh sweetheart
You never stood a chance.
I blew the door off the cage,
And now you're running
Knowing I'm coming for you.
I'm dragging that chain behind me
The devil on my shoulder
Reminding me of how many lies you fed me,
So you better run far and fast
But know that no matter how far
Or how fast
It's not going to be enough.

I'm a predator
You're the prey,
And these legs
These arms
These new toys the devil taught me to use
While I was locked in that cage,
They like the thrill of the hunt
And it's been a long time since I've had a good one.