To You, My Son

My son, my Gaara

You were born a monster
In the village of Sunagakure
Because, in my womb, your father
Turned you into an experiment
At his own expense, without my consent.

The pain I felt was hell,
I soon became unwell.
The horror they put me through was unbearable
And I became very unstable.

Later on, I died.
Naturally, you cried.
And I cursed this village
So that you, my son, my liege,
Could avenge my death.
Don't hold your breath;
Avenge my death.

No one deserved the pain I felt;
The nightmares welt
Up inside my mind.
Myself hoping that you would turn out kind
And fine.
No regrets left behind.
No negative thoughts to pass on
To you, my son.

So don't hold your breath;
Avenge my death.

Through your childhood,
No one was there for you;
Not even my brother Yashamaru.
He told you things
Things you did not understand
Things like love, compassion, friendship....
But the sand;
The horrible sand.
Apparently, you could not stand
Your loneliness anymore.

Your uncle Yashamaru
was sent by your father to kill you.
It was a free choice; a willing decision
That he must assassinate you with precision.
The Sand village would not lose hope
And would finally be able to cope
Without your existence.

Both fortunate and unfortunate,
Yashamaru failed to seal your fate.
When you learned of his murderous intention,
You murdered him without a moment's hesitation
Without touching him, just by looking at him,
By being you.
He committed suicide and took his life;
Both him and you were full of strife.

But you, Gaara, discovered an uncomfortable truth.

All of the simple, joyous times spent with Yashamaru;
You finally learned he cared nothing about you.
He attempted to take your life away
After hearing that I had passed away.
And my brother's anger for you grew and stayed
With him until the end of his days.

So, Gaara, don't hold your breath;
Avenge my death.

You became more psychotic
And a bigger nervous wreck;
It seems that you have a hard time
Keeping your mind in check.
That demon; that Shukaku;
It has made you and turned you
Into a monster, filled with swirling emotions
Waiting to explode like fire in a swift, fast motion.

Oh, Gaara, can't you see,
Your siblings Kankuro and Temari
Have tried to help you, but with no luck.
So the demon inside you will run amuck
In your very soul;
Your heart being as black as coal.

But somewhere there inside your heart
Is a sliver;
A glimmer
Of light so bright
That sets other demons apart from you.
A fighting spirit through and through;
To help your friends through thick and thin
Until the very end.

But now, in the present,
You begin to believe that I am with you
In the sand with which you fight. But do not resent
Me if I do not answer
To you, my son.
Let me know that you are not selfish
And that you do not love just yourself. I wish
That I was more grateful for you
And had been able to say, "I love you."
Therefore, you would have had someone to love;
A feeling like being as free as a dove.

So, Gaara, don't hold your breath,
Please avenge my death.

Your whole life has been miserable;
You wallow in your own demise.
But you, my son, are incomparable,
I can see it in your eyes.