Black Sabbath 's original drummer , Bill Ward , discovered new talents during quarantine. The musician has been sharing some of his own poems, touching on themes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and even the holiday season.
His most recent shared work is a poignant poem called “Don't Leave Us,” a plea for the lives of those suffering from the current state of the world – with sensitivity, Ward speaks of death, grief, insecurity, and sadness in a delicate way. Below is a free translation of the poem, followed by the original excerpt released by the drummer:
Don't Leave Us
Don't leave us by your own hand.
Go away when your time comes
. Stay with the pain, no matter what happens.
It's easy to say, but not so much; I faltered too.
Having traveled some roads myself, I'm grateful I didn't go.
I met others at the gates of Hell
, and talked, even laughed, reminiscing about stories as the labyrinth widened.
Sometimes my hands didn't want to let go.
Could there be something better? Yes,
I think of the days to come and the now.
Can I hold on? I've found countless paths to overcome in the truths about myself,
and yes, sometimes a painfully slow truth.
For now, however, don't go away by your own hand
. No more, don't do it, please don't do it.
Stay with us and give hindsight a chance to look back at this moment, please.
Dedicated to those who had to leave,
mercifully at peace now.
READ ALSO: Book with unpublished material by Jim Morrison is released; read the first poem here.
