"Friend"

In shadows cast by whispered lies,

I placed my trust, a fragile guise.

A friend, I thought, with open heart,

Yet darkness veiled a traitor's art.

Through woven words, a tapestry spun,

Deceit disguised, the damage done.

In innocence, my trust bestowed,

A bond that crumbled, falsehood showed.

Their laughter echoed, a hollow sound,

In truth's abyss, I slowly drowned.

A puppet master, strings unseen,

I danced, deceived, a tragic scene.

Beneath the surface, currents swirled,

A web of lies, deceit unfurled.

I glimpsed the mask, a fleeting sight,

Yet clung to hope, to the fading light.

The warmth of friendship turned to frost,

A bitter truth, a friendship lost.

Betrayed by shadows, once my guide,

I stumbled through the pain, denied.

Yet from the ashes, strength emerged,

A lesson learned, though deeply scourged.

Through tear-stained eyes, I saw the cost,

Of misplaced trust, of dreams now lost.

In the wreckage of a bond undone,

I found my strength, a battle won.

For in the darkness, a light will rise,

A wiser heart, more keen, more wise.

So let the verses tell the tale,

Of trust betrayed, a ship set sail.

In the echo of deceit's chime,

I stand anew, a stronger rhyme.