Once upon a midnight dreary, while I reflected, stuck in query,

From countless a tale and performance in days left behind,

Drifting so closely, nearly sleeping, when at once there was a ringing,

As though a bell were ringing, dinging beyond my chamber door as it chimed.

“Probably some idiot,” I muttered, “ringing stupidly and unrefined.”

Read between the lines, your lies.

Before that time where my skills I did so hone, I found often that I was destined to be alone.

Alone, with neither my father nor mother around, no friends would sit by me, it felt unkind,

Only one colleague I had made, Tommy Dreamer, despite it all, he would leave just the same.

Eagerly I wished for his return, not knowing then, now, forever our fates were intertwined,

Chief the ways of which, was through his scorned lover Beulah, whose love for me I confined,

But you left me far behind.

Once again, my attention was brought to, returned to this realm by that deathly ringing,

At once again, I did head to my door, in horror after the open of what I might find,

That of which was that same deadly place, and a flushing did sweep across my face.

“What is this before me? Some unearthly trick?” I gasped, my memories it did remind,

Quickly I shut my door from this ghastly thing, this arena with a wrestling ring.

Read between the lines, your lies.

By the dozen these traumas did abound, in tears I was kneeling, tortured, on the ground.

Why, why did it follow me so in my mind? I cried in remembrance of the day I was signed.

From day one my nest began with not a hitch, starting on Stevie Richards, treated as my bitch.

Following thus, my roost did grow, with just about any lost soul that I managed to find,

Hung down with these freaks and ghouls – in our efforts we sought successes to grind.

But you left me far behind.

In my embrace of the many I hid my delusion, that in fact I was merely still in seclusion.

No one to understand me, knowing not the depth and intricacies of my powerful mind.

Too great was my belief I was on a different level; I accepted and became my inner devil.

Dreamer would find himself to despise me as Beulah came to me, with love on her mind-

Cactus Jack a former comrade, also aided me – in an alliance that was an affront to all mankind.

Drive it home, with one headlight.

Exit light, enter night for the Sandman he comes, I took everything from him, including his son.

I became such a gnarly beast – so evil was I, that the inebriate with foul odour I had crucified.

Unfortunately, my successes were not to be, for my Nest sought out to turn against me.

Not even mine own ambitions to hurt my father were to be, his hero Terry Funk never resigned.

Taking myself elsewhere, Uncle Eric greeted: “Welcome, to Monday Nitro!” and I had signed.

Ask yourself, “Where is my mind?”

Grimacing, grimacing for what lies beyond – when all at once more memories dawned,

Those days at World Championship Wrestling, with a Flock I personally did find,

Winning my matches with all sorts of tools – implemented by my Raven’s Rules.

My profile prospered profitably, my face was on that of merchandise of every kind,

But creatively I had been stagnated and halted, the old guard favoured over wunderkind.

Drive it home, with one headlight.

Again, in its horrid and despicable singing, I once more did hear that accursed ringing,

Clasping my hands over my ears, it was evident to me it would not cease, and thus I resigned.

My best moments I vocally tried repeating, for naught as these traumas never conceding.

I know what memory would come next, and I pleaded “No, I plead for no return to this mind!

I gave it up, through the hardest of all my efforts, now leave it alone, and let me stay behind!”

Ask yourself, “Where is my mind?”

Though it is true that I was the voice of a generation, I proved to be ill-fitted for the Federation.

Capable of doing so much more, I saw they found no potential. “Who hired him?” Vince cried.

Yes, while I didn’t have the “beef”, I did have the meat; I vowed to attest my prowess on Heat.

“This is no place for an outcast,” I had told myself, “they’re stupid, their minds have been fried.”

After I left, I sought – I found company, but not within another, rather within a bottle I did hide.

That is me in the corner.

A man drinks a bottle – the bottle drinks the man, for me, many a year this did lengthily span,

But even in my clumsy inebriation, I found followers anew, but again, from them I was pried.

Prime among them was straight-edge Punk – through me, stenches of his father must have stunk.

Star in the making, I had once felt, ‘twas imprudent of me, trusting he wouldn’t leave me behind.

Now these memories fade, like clouds dissipating within the sky and abruptly I found my mind.

Humour me and tell me lies!

I had come far within my path to sobriety, though surely, oh surely, I lost all of my notoriety.

“Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, forget this lost time of long before!” my demons still cried.

Victorious was I in the battle of my career – my addiction to the drink, for a new foe to appear.

Like the parable of the man in the desert, loneliness is by my side, it will always be by my side.

I welcomed it, content with it finally that I know not if I want to leave it; from it can I truly hide?

That is me in the spotlight.

No matter who I surrounded myself – whether two or three, isolation has indeed carried me,

Any time I sat with classmates in school, they would vanish, but seclusion never left me behind.

In my delusions of having gained a newfangled friend, the quiet was there for me until the end.

“What is wrong with me?” mused I. “Nothing is wrong, my friend,” solitude retorted in kind.

Alienation wrapped its arms around me in comfort, through Nest and Flock, with me it aligned.

Humour me and tell me lies!

There’s naught even a forecast of Orpheus, nor even a prophetic dream from Morpheus,

No such clue for me as to what to do, and so I sit here in the trauma and terrors I thus described.

But verily there must be an answer to all my fears, and it’s short, it’s simple, it’s crystal clear.

Prithee, retort promptly, show me signal course, I will listen to anything, a lecture, a diatribe.

Show me, teach me, how to overcome my person, lest I cast myself off to a darker, endless side.

Take it on the Otherside.

Frustrated, exasperated, knowing and unknowing, my impatience surely and justly be growing,

No matter what I so choose, there is consequence, should I follow my heart, let it decide?

Suddenly, unexpectedly, these thoughts are recessed, and so certainly my focus is dearly pressed,

Ringing, ringing, it is no more, it is departed – am I free from lunacy the bell so cruelly chimed?

So many thoughts, so many ideas of reflection, and to think, this is where this battle had died.

Take it on the Otherside.

My father had told me I’d never amount to much, and he’d never use his words, and as such,

Not that I needed him, all I needed were my mental and physical powers I had kept inside,

And the lack of remorse to use them all; I dissected my opponents as the wrestling world saw.

But where, oh where, do I go first – to Japan and teach Young Lions to toughen their hides?

I could go Elite, receiving the lost, and take for themselves their own star, then I let them shine –

I’m going to let them shine!

I treated my disciples in the past as I was by father, but no more will I fall to such unwell fodder.

This I vow – be there any deity in the skies above, this I vow, and by my word I swear to abide.

I will love them, be they two or twenty I will love them both, given my newfound growth.

Now with my vigor renewed, my voice shall ring forth, and from my experiences I have espied,

This direction of mine must be new, must toss aside my abuses and I will do what is right.

Yes, I will just let it slide.

.

But can I truly do this, am I through with my best years – have I wasted it all on drugs and beers?

Is this but a momentary lapse into foolish hope, the likes of which I keep falling for every time?

How many times was it – how long have I fell into this horrid quandary, fell down and cried?

Can I really muster up a new roost – no, surely not, for nobody would listen to me now, mind.

Verily, I must cast aside once again these delusions of grandeur and simply leave it all behind.

Yes, I will just let it slide.

Beulah my beloved, Dreamer my friend, Cactus my accomplice, did it all have to end?

Nitro, Raw, Smackdown, and Heat – for all these places I gave my all, I really had tried.

Do I manage or fight before I am finally retired – do I leave to end this solitude inspired?

I will go, I will return and end it right – no, I will stay home, leaving career and lifetime behind.

My choice is clear, that is to me firmly sure, however as it arose prior, I again changed my mind.

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermind.”