I sit here, bound and gagged
Left only with my thoughts
And the shadows on the wall
At my back, blistering heat
From the fires that show
Shades of what is real

In the cave, I weep
For myself and for my brothers,
The happy prisoners of their minds
How foolish I had been
To think that I
Could have shown them the way

To show them the marionnettes
That cast the shadow pictures
To show them that their world
Was fraudulent, just a reflection
To show them wisdom
That there was much more
Than dancing silhouettes

How could I have shown them
That which they did not wish to see?
To show what lay in front of them
Was just a shadow
A living, breathing shadow

Why did I return?
Why didn't I stay away?
And live in the world of truth
In the light that washed over me
And now, they call me the liar

They chide at me as they guess
What the next picture on the wall would be
They call me a liar and beyond
They call me deceiver, corruptor
All the derogatory names they can think of

They make me question my decision
Of my endeavor to save them
But perhaps one day they'll listen
And so I sit here
Cemented to their world of illusion
Waiting and hoping

That another man might enter the cave
And relieve me of my bonds
I await the day
That I might break the shackles
Of their illusions

But for now I have no choice
Save to let the shadows dance
And though my resolve is strong
I fear that one day
I might once again believe
And revel in the dark