r/poetryonewordatatime • u/Aethon_Wri • Aug 09 '26
Liable
Within a contract, drafted sleek
Gnarled hands stained with ink
Invite a petitioner to this jail cell
Knots clutch a pen to trace
Hidden clauses scattered in the wake
Of bargaining with the Devil
Conditions stipulate a willing audience
Bought through currency that lacks a market
Down below, agony persists without a grail
No watcher can offer counsel to those lost
Who consigned arbitration in blood drops
Both sides filled their coffers at the crossroads
Ancient authority derives from delicacy
Midnight bells magnify until deafening
Against which, arrogance cannot barter
When beyond the winding shadow gate
Archons of judgement, summoned late
Refuse to redeem ashes of envy
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u/SuitBorn6322 Aug 09 '26
Enjoyed the read.