And Then Came the Final Fall (For Ozzy)
by Michael Doyle

Facing the music as it begins to play
I, in my pulpit of one, begin to pray.
Lost within my sense of inconsolable dreams,
I take comfort in the prophet's endless screams.

Time went on, and I slowly came to fully mature
Finding myself a product of all that I nurture. 
The western dessert found no regret was in vain.
I was hitching a ride on his black steel crazy train.

...And then came that final fall
When the Blizzard of Oz heeded the call.
Going the last time into the dark night
Shouting at the devil to get it right.

The demons drove him through the pouring rain
Finding home again, the singer shared his pain.
Hexed by depression and dragged through Hell,
It was clear the Prince of Darkness felt unwell.

Fleetingly homicidal because it takes too long,
Like pieces of a puzzle, thoughts become a song.
Modern-day extremists might have their urgency,
But Black Sabbath created Heavy Metal's certainty.

...And then came that final fall
When the Blizzard of Oz heeded the call.
Going the last time into the dark night
Shouting at the devil to get it right.

Going over the mountain to fly high again,
Randy Rhoads flew along like a winged friend.
Cut down by the last and cruelest of superstitions,
The music crafted became legendary inspiration.

Most of modern life is lived like well-worn fiction,
Breaking through its crust takes the speed of friction.
Ozzy Osbourne - Prince of Darkness and family man,
A cognitive dissonance that became a living titan.

...And then came that final fall
When the Blizzard of Oz heeded the call.
Going the last time into the dark night
Shouting at the devil to get it right.

(c) July 26, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved