The Majesty of Decay

Each night I lie awake in bed I cannot sleep Oppressive dread Small voices with no locus, a presence filling up the room Pure malice, like a fine mist, condensates upon the walls It’s the dawning of a new day And the nightmare fades away Sunbeams slice apart the twilight curtain and illuminate the room What feeds the parasite? There’s nothing left of me to take, so What feeds the parasite? I re-learn it every night The daily grind begins in earnest I can’t sleep or even eat Haunted by the ordeal My body’s withered like an old fruit rotting This mind is all that I have left How powerless am I, when the demons are so old and wise I feed the parasite If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take My hatred swells against you all, but now I understand it’s me who is responsible Another night begins

Submitted by Grave666 — Apr 25, 2025

Brace for the slow decline, my brother Now is the time to pray Cry when the panic puts claws into your heart But it’s now too late The waves will wash this shore forever Their diamond shimmers winking, beautiful Beneath the waves I’m sinking Reach above Glide through the halls of tissue and decay In a beast once proud Drown in the stench of decomposing flesh Feel it in your lungs Feed on the innocent Give back to nature Feed on the guilty Give what you borrowed Join in with the cosmic dance of death On the outside looking in, it’s fear-inducing On the inside looking out, it’s so perplexing Father, have you turned your face away? Angels, have you nothing more to say? Hark! The majesty of our decay Scream if you’re feeling helpless and alone And I know you are Hush, there are voices singing in return Like a choir of dying babies

Submitted by Morgoth — Apr 25, 2025

Have you seen my father? He went away Left the house this morning, thought he came this way Lived my life with secrets no child should keep Took upon my shoulders burdens not to speak Mommy’s sweet but knows the sad truth - she tows the line Quietly she prays for guidance she’ll never find End this life of lies How could I ever be a father? End this life of lies I might propagate his failures I fear that I might be like him Father to son and down the line I fear my son might be like me A flood would wash away the filth Praying to God for healing rain A light would cleanse this heart of mine Daddy goes away on business, or so say he says Mommy thinks she’s kept me safe, but I’ve known for years Plunge into the deepest ocean to find a whale Daddy’s unaware of danger - it’s up to me End this life of lies How could I rescue my own father? End this life of lies Will my fear destroy my family? I cannot swim I’m too petrified to move He cannot hear From the belly of the whale Father, please! I can’t move I can’t save you

Submitted by Lake of Tears — Apr 25, 2025

Twirl with her in the dim-lit garden Give me the beauty - I’ll deflower Flower and bloom in the rotten soil Reach for the heavens Reach down into hell, where I feel at home Give me the fire I deserve How could the Lord entrust a darling innocent like you with me, a slave to passions? The seed I bear in me, corrupted by my father’s life I try to dig it out through fiery coals I never knew what love could do It’s powerful and burns I never thought that I could change And still I doubt there’s good Days to years in a ruthless death march Make the earth my cradle I desire my death and an endless vacuum Grant me no judgment Deny Truth Each day I fight to be worthy To be what you deserve

Submitted by Corpse Defiler — Apr 25, 2025

In this deathbed I relish my tale of cancer and loss Pen to paper, I control what you read and what you will feel Dream weave and speak their nightmares Bring them down with you Pitch black tendrils creeping out from ‘neath the door Chitters sound from somewhere in the shadows’ heart Gold and glory A shattered crown restored for you Gold and glory My brother bear, be bold and loving This dark tale fulfills me It ties loose ends - die of cancer Can’t change it, we’re locked in and halfway through the album already Glitches sparking from behind the bathroom door Perhaps I die of old age rather than cancer Change the subject here and now

Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 25, 2025

Wash the scales off my eyes Hear my prayers and desperate cries In this life, you live for pain and wisdom, love and lies Jump into the other side of life And join in with the cosmic liturgy Endless life Heal this broken life Brother bear, I’m home It’s been too long, I thought you’d vanished Brother bear, I’m home The dark behind the doorway’s glitching gold Dying to die, I strove to pass the pain along to all who heard my simple song of sadness, loss, and... Endless life Bless this humble life Brother bear, I’m home Receive the chalice, eat the bread of life In this sign of wisdom Know that you’re still dreaming on your deathbed He’s calling, responding to all your prayers I am aware of all the hate that brings you strength within the darkness Endless life Orient my life Brother bear, I’m home You’re stronger than you know, my little bear

Submitted by Grave666 — Apr 25, 2025

In a sign of loving-kindness, she crawls in bed to be beside me This withered corpse I call my own, she kisses like a precious icon Hold me now, I’m trembling Hold me ’til I fade away Where I go, I’ll wait for you I’ll hang onto this moment in my heart All the days I lived my life, I never knew… Precious moments I let slip away All the days we lived in vain, we never knew… Precious moments we let pass us by Candlelight and incense In a fleeting life of madness You can have it all, save reason You’ll live at the expense of humanity Wake to the dawn in vain To my shame, I’m still alive What a way to die, in the arms of your lover Never catch a break, never easy You’re a fool to think that you would slip away Not by cancer, but by old age No one really gets ‘The Notebook’ ending here

Submitted by Corpse Grinder — Apr 25, 2025

Swaddled in loyalty Filled with a loving faith I recognize my worth as a father Now I am running Run into the light Sins of the flesh descend, bleed down the family tree A curse from father into son, forever ‘til it’s all undone someday Dive in the deep to recover what was lost, and redeem what was damned While I am not perfect, I have surpassed my dad Perhaps he did prevail in his duty to make his son better than himself Blood and brine Streaming strain Heave and pull Cry aloud Father dear, I am here Dive in the deep to recover father’s soul from the maw of the whale

Submitted by Immortal — Apr 25, 2025

Here I lie in my death bed, elderly and proud of what I have done I struggle to stay here with my family, but I know it’s time to die, to finally let go, sleep unto my death My wife and children come to say goodbye The priest settles down to read my last rites Fight! I’m trying Speak! But I’m weak Fight! It’s difficult Speak! Through the tears Say your goodbyes! My Holy Unction Say your goodbyes! To my love Say your goodbyes! Your daddy loves you Say your goodbyes! My final flight Finally, it’s time to let it go... Receive the purest warmth of love and blinding light I lived my life in fear of dark behind the door The love of God reflects on all the faces of the saints They beckon me to come And now it’s time for me to bid farewell She holds my hand and tries to smile I’ll wait for you, my love Hold me until I fade away “Lacking trust and confidence when anyone showed kindness I pushed away their loving arms and shrank into the darkness This lake of mine in which I swam was void and bottomless But then you came and pulled me out Life and love awaited” “Years went by and kids were born Surrounded by their laughter Unaware of what we had endured” “The woods ahead are made for me The brambles tear and snag until I find your open arms to catch me”

Submitted by Nargaroth — Apr 25, 2025

Only two things that I hoped would never come to pass: Die inside a hospital and drawn-out death by cancer How ironic that my death has mirrored my own brother’s Save for how this broken ship made passage to the other side Leave your mortal frame and rise to see a friend How you fought through every trial Resplendent, but you still must fight There’s more to go and you’ll sink if you don’t fight It’s never-ending You’ll learn to love and fight The stars connect me My bosom yearns to fight As you can see now, you’ve never been alone If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in all my years, having your heart ripped out can be a source of grace And your shame, when laid out to see, can begin to make you who you’re supposed to be You become that which you worship, be it virtuous or vile - no false neutrality Orient myself to heaven Feel the warmth from distant fire - my guardian Paraclete Leave the earth behind and rise to see a friend How you suffered with assurance Resplendent, but you still must fight Leave the pain behind and rise to join the saints How you trusted in the Father And now it’s time to reflect His love Forgive your brother and offer them your love There’s more to go and you’ll sink if you don’t love It’s never-ending You’ll learn to fight and love The stars connect me My bosom yearns to love As you can see now, you’ve never been alone Come, brother bear Sit at the table Come, brother bear Offer oblation

Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 25, 2025