the epic of bucky barnes
They took something perfect, and painted it red
But they couldn't remove the mem'ries from his head
The tales of adventure, of family and friends
Still whirled around in his mind as a start or an end
The memories weren't whole, and they certainly weren't clear
But they were pieces of something, and he held them dear
They changed his behaviour, took his voice and his style
But they couldn't wipe his thoughts – those were his, no denial
They controlled him no end; told him this, told him that
He followed their orders at the drop of a hat
But there was always a part of him, strong and determined
That knew they were lying, and from lies, he was fashioned
He was a puppet on strings, with no mind of his own
They stripped his humanity; he was slaved, he was owned
But he broke away from control with those few fateful words
A friend from his past returned, to liberate him from his curse
'I'm not gonna fight you', said the man from the bridge
'You're my friend, not my foe', and dropped his shield off the ridge
'Til the end of the line', said the man from his memories
Blonde, lean and handsome, like he was in the thirties
And even beneath, Steve's new body and the repression
Bucky would recognise Steve, he's known him since before the depression
Like breath to the lungs, like blood to the heart
Steve was… is Bucky's lifeblood, never meant to be apart
And with those fateful words, Bucky's memories were sparked
He saves Steve one more time, and walks off to embark
On a mission to find himself, the man he was in his dreams
So he can return as the sergeant, as the man that once beamed
He's still that man, beneath the torture and programming
A man to be admired, despite how his memory is jamming
But he works hard to remember the life he left behind
His past back in Brooklyn, saving Steve from his binds
It's a life that he wishes he could relive again
But he can't very well without Steve, that fact's plain
And so Bucky finds Steve, on one fateful stormy night
He shows up on his doorstep, his appearance a fright
Steve is gobsmacked, when he opens the door
He stutters and blanks and then sinks to the floor
For he hadn't expected Bucky to ever return
He was planning to go searching, every corner upturned
For he couldn't live without his other half either
The loneliness of his new life was the ultimate decider
Steve hugs him then, on the front door step
And Bucky freezes, not wanting to misstep
But Steve is inviting and brings him inside
Out of the cold and the harsh winter bite
The days are slow going and the memories are fuzzy
But they settle into routine, together they're comfy
Like it hasn't been seventy years since they were united
Hasn't been long since Bucky entered Steve's life, uninvited
That day in the alley, when Bucky saved Steve
Had been a blessing in disguise for them both to receive
The red washes away, but the staining remains
In dreams hands run red, his metal hand retained
But with work and with focus, Bucky Barnes' flame is reignited
And the two Brooklyn boys are forever reunited
The memories filter back and with the help of a friend
It would all come together, to find the lost man again