the phantom walks the halls
and they are silent as can be
his foot steps make no noises
and his eyes you cannot see
the fearless phantom sleeps well at night
there’s nothing in his nightmares
that could happen in real life
he outlives all his friends and generations of people
he lives the longest day
but his life will have no sequel
the fearless phantom knows no defeat
he triumphs without effort
his face isn’t marred by dust or blood
he holds the perfect record
and the truth is that the fearless phantom isn’t fearless at all
he fears failing
losing
risking
dying
he’s never felt a single fall
he doesn’t engage in battle
for he is afraid of death and of suffering
if only the phantom knew
one day of living full of fear but willing to try
is worth more than a thousand days of nothing
the fearless phantom has never showed
he’s never even begun
he’s never started anything
and so he’s always won
of course he’s undefeated
he doesn’t know the pain of loss
or feeling of being mistreated
he prefers it this way, you see
he will never boast a frown
but the phantom doesn’t just miss out
it’s others he lets down
he doesn’t show
he doesn’t blink
he doesn’t ever try
and he’s worth much less
or nothing at all
next to the man that’s willing to die
the man who shows
the man who risks
the wild man who puts it all up on the line
the one knows a greater cause than just his own divine
the phantom will always win in a battle with the wild man
the fight is one that’s far from fair
the fearless phantom cannot lose
if he’s never really there
there is a truth beyond the phantom
to the wild man it’s clear
a truth the phantom can never know
that anything worth doing is hard and marked with fear
the truth is laid in plain sight for those will look near
the fearless phantom isn’t fearless
his coat is simple to shear
and so the wild man will grab his bow and sword and shed the skin of fearless wager
for fear comes with a life worth living
one that’s full of danger
the wild man will surely lose
and maybe even his life at one point or another
but he knows the sweetness of victory
and dying for a brother
he believes
he cherishes
he soaks
he gives everything
the wild man is afraid
but the fearless phantom’s fear is death
he’s a ghost who can’t be slain
and so the fearless phantom will never lose
he’ll hold a perfect record
but all through this flawless existence of his
he’ll carry a hole right at his center