Ozymandias

Behold this sad and lifeless thing
It, to my heart a chill doth bring
Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Hath stood the ages here alone

Half sunk in cracked earth lays nearby
A face which staring at the sky
Lies dumb, yet terror once it spoke
Yet time hath dealt its killing stroke

It broken lies and chokes on sand
In death it found no tomb
The spirit fell which once indwelt him
Hath fled to find its doom

Eyes bright, shined like dragon fire from
Lofty throne he ruled, he reigned
While his subjects cringed in fear beneath his gaze

The sculptor 'neath his gaze
'Twould be a monument of praise
Thus he enshrined the royal sneer
Of him, this Tyrant-King of Fear

I kneel to wipe away the dust of years
With trembling fingers trace the words
Found etched upon its base

They said, "I am King of Kings
See my works and know despair!"
Yet broken now he lies forgotten!

Let's turn and leave him there
Nothing remains but this colossal wreck of stone
Round it boundless, bare stretch wide the desert sand
Forgotten, he lies
Here, his legacy dies

I think he died a bitter death
A curse he flung with dying breath
"I am slain and my deeds were done in vain
But others shall come as tyrants rise up."

And surely I've seen his kind aplenty, again and again
Empathy in short supply, lovers of themselves

Victor or the victim?
You must choose whom you will serve
Pride hath slain this king of old
Yet his curse will surely stand
For fate is a treacherous thing
And none can know what it brings
But I for one will walk away
And seek out those who yearn for love
We folk with empathy must ever be on guard for those without