The serpent's kiss

Born into the darkness
thrown into the viper's den
the serpent in the cradle
takes the child into its nest of sin
slowly suffocating
the souls of victims it has found
into the vicious cycle
on the path that only leads us down

Rat-race-fueled machinery
this system of corruption
have we become so cold and numb
we're blind to its destruction?
We're forging in the fires made of greed
Our idols made of gold
then bowing down before them
with corrupt, adulterous souls
opened eyes,
realize...

WHAT WE HAVE DONE
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN
WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR LIVES
CORRUPTED OUR DREAMS
WHAT WE HAVE LOST
AND WHAT REMAINS
PARALYZED BY THE VENOM THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR VEINS
THERE'S GOT TO BE MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS
THE WORLD'S CARESS IS JUST THE SERPENT'S KISS The demons veiled as angels
The darkness as the light
the poison seems so harmless as you drink of it
tonight
we reap the harvest we have sown
empowering our enemies
we dress the wolves as sheep
and then forget their true identities
forgive me
now I see...

WHAT WE HAVE DONE
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN
WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR LIVES
CORRUPTED OUR DREAMS
WHAT WE HAVE LOST
AND WHAT REMAINS
PARALYZED BY THE VENOM THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR VEINS
THERE'S GOT TO BE MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS
THE WORLD'S CARESS IS JUST THE SERPENT'S KISS

Father bring us back to you
we're lost sheep, afraid, confused
tangled in the scnares that grow
along this road of pain we chose
and though we've wandered far away
we've turned around and lost our way
though we are the prodigal,
with open arms for us you still await All we are is laid to waste
All we've seen crumbles in haste
everything under the sun is vanity put in its place
you have seen this all before
we are nothing, nothing more
we're the ones who betray you,
yet we're the ones who you adore.

I stand before you as a child
by this world I've been defiled
stained and poisoned, burned and beaten
bruised and wounded, sick and vile
with hands reaching out to you, I run
realizing what I've done
you take me in your arms, a reunited father and son...

And all illusion ceases to exist
the world's caress is just a serpent's kiss