Tortured Souls

They are the artist, the painters, musicians and entertainers
They are those who inspired us and brought joy to our hearts
But in the work they shared we also witnessed their anguish
The geniuses behind masterpieces and great works of art

They were ahead of their time, sometimes changing the world
But they were also tormented by demons and substance abuse
And when their suicides left us with nothing but questions
I wonder what trials they experienced when they paid their dues

Modern musicians like Jimi and Janis with great musical talents
While other were in great pain like Cobain whose tunes
Reverberate with ghostly echoes and soulful voices like Amy
So many in the twenty-seven club, all gone too soon

Or how about the classics, when they descended into madness
Beethoven, Mozart and Berlioz with fantastic symphonies
But when the mind explores vibrations never heard before
For some it explodes when they’ve having epiphanies

Their creations showed another plane of reality, beyond humanity
Like Frida and Pablo expressed depressed agonies apropos
And when they were haunted by illusions and visions
They poured out into words and paintings like Poe and Van Goh

Writers and entertainers, like Tennessee and Robin Williams
Even when loved by millions they had a secret somber path
But is there a mental illness that comes with this creativity?
Or do they just lose their way like Hemingway and Plath?

These are just some examples of the world’s greatest artists
Those whose gifts also came with a curse they couldn’t control
Each of their stories, heartbreaks, misfortunes and glories
Make us sorry for the sorrows of the beautiful yet tortured souls