even dictators have friends

Even dictators have friends
as grisly as their deeds may be,
though the bodies may pile on high,
every despot has a family

There’s always someone they can trust
for at least a second or two
until the money runs out,
or the national interest changes
Then the comrades turn into traitors,
and allies become the next big threat

Even dictators have friends
but the closest friend is power
Love is sacrificed to higher ends
squeezed in minds so narrow

There are those who lay their lives down -
for monsters still benefit from loyalty
But is it respect, fear or envy
that breeds the lust for power...
must they breathe the air of evil or drown
or is it something merely more banal?