Reign III

The promises broke like glass, bright and sharp
Diamond caltrops against a black velvet
Floor. They were beautiful still in the harm
They brought us, to their infinite credit.
The pain reminded us of the power
They held. What could fascinate could also
Obliterate, what lifted could leave dour,
And what got us high brought about our fall.
We lived in a network of stimulants,
Danced with depressants, experimented
On our minds, self-appointed scientists
Desperate to synthesize gold from lead,
Or Icarus, star-gazing from a ledge,
Each point of light another jagged edge.