Corruption Poem by Thomas Ware

An innocent child wanders down,
A long and winding road.
He follows what he believes in,
With never a thought that he might drown.
He walks, and carries a heavy load,
Against those who try and rein him in.

In his mind, he fights a noble battle,
Against the forces of the dark,
They drive him like a herd of cattle,
In a widening character arc.

He struggles yet perseveres and at last,
Reaches his eventual goal,
And realizes of his journey, the cost and terrible toll,
The opportunities he had passed.

In his zeal to escape their clutches,
In his foolhardy stubborn strength,
He had held who would help him at arm's length,
And now was left without a crutch.

The light at the end an illusion,
The imagined evil of friends,
His quest now at conclusion,
His refusal to bend, his end.

Now he walks through life in a living hell,
His eyes in a constant daze.
You can change a man but not change him back.
You can lead a horse but not make it graze.
You can pound a man, and he will crack.