I'll Play Their Game
This poem was written sometime in the spring of 2015. As I recall, I had been listening to some dark songs from Broadway musicals, such as 'No Good Deed' from Wicked and 'Fie on Goodness' from Camelot, and I had the idea to write a poem on a similar theme. I imagined a powerful and dynamic Hiccup standing alone in a high and dark tower, declaring his ties to Berk and his family broken forever.
I completely forgot about this poem for a long time, and then one night recently I suddenly rediscovered it and realized it would be a good addition to this collection.
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Dismissing the good I've done
No kindness from anyone
Within my dark mind I can see
All of their hate filled glares
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I wanted to show them all
But they loved seeing me crawl
How much they jeered and laughed at me
And shouted "no one cares!"
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I swore I would prove them wrong
That like them I could be strong
And look where that oath brought me to
Shunned far worse than before
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One brief hope and it was gone
My life is night without dawn
What is there left for me to do?
I can't take it anymore!
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I tried
And cried
But no one responded
Denied I'll hide
Like one who's absconded
Or maybe not…
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If they don't want me I don't want them
They laugh now but it will come back to haunt them
I'll play their game
A game in which might makes it right
They only have themselves to blame
And I'll torment them and taunt them
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With my hand I shatter my old vow
A greater one I shall swear right here and now
I'll play their game
And make them all cower in fright
They'll shiver when they hear my name
And before me in fear they'll bow
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I'm all through with being nice
Let my heart freeze into ice
Let me put remorse away
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I will seize life by the throat
Let all the heavens take note
Of what I decree today
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I will show the world that I can be
The master of it and then they all will see
I'll play their game
And laugh as they attempt to fight
Let their town be engulfed in flame
Let them try to reason with me
I'll play their game and drive them all to the wall
Have not all leaders done the same?
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When I located the truth
They laughed at my size and youth
Saying how could a thing like me
Find something they knew not?
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They refused to see or hear
Either in habit or fear
Fear that I'd change the history
And let tradition's rot
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They looked so much to the past
When they saw the truth at last
They called me demon and traitor
They clamored for my head
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They're going to regret it
Don't think I will forget it
They carried this day but later
They'll wish they all were dead
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But wait
This fate
Might be too dark for you
Abate this hate
Or their words might come true
Or maybe not…
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Let the world turn into ash and dust
From it this phoenix will rise young and robust
I'll play their game
They wanted me do, didn't they?
Like the sea I'll never be tame
I'll be this way because I must
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They tried to beat out my compassion
Saying it was severely out of fashion
I'll play their game
And that's how I'm going to stay
Let the healthy turn blind and lame
Let plagues come and leave them ashen
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They hated all my kindness
Now I'll end my own blindness
And see the world as I should
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It's a world of tooth and claw
That's the one and only law
There is no wrong and no good
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Freed from my chains I can live at last
Let those fools live in their glorified past
I'll play their game
And woe to those who won't obey
Those are the ones I'll let death claim
And for many it won't be fast
I'll play their game and see them die or comply
This will forever be my aim!