Evil

Evil is often seen as a guiding light.

Evil

 

There are many shades of gray

vying to be white

where contrasting shadows may

masquerade as  light.

 

To what varying degree

may we trust all that we see?

 

Sometimes evil guides our way

to a greater plight

if we trade a lesser ray

for one not as bright.

 

What alluring fantasy

shall we praise on bended knee?

 

Foolish minions swept away

by a false delight

shall incur a Judgment Day

from a truer might.

 

Will the Sun in time decree

that our Flame won't set us free?

 

Behold animated clay

vying for a fight.

Hate and anger on display

shall inherit blight.

 

Must we feud and disagree

to the point we cease to be?

Reviews

[Jen Yarrington]

"To what varying degree
may we trust all that we see?"
It really does require discernment to understand what we see, doesn't it? Things aren't always as they appear to be.

"What alluring fantasy
shall we praise on bended knee?"
I know the One whom I should praise on bended knee; however, I am often lured away by other delights in this world.

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your detailed review, Jen! We should all be careful about what we think we know. We know something that a computer can't know: We know how we feel, and feeling motivates action. Most people seem attracted to complex abstract personified projections of human feelings. A feeling has no tangible referent, but it is as real as day for each of us. It’s very important that we have empathy for each other’s feelings and how they project them if we’re to get along with each other. It’s the intangibles in life that we value the most. Computers have no idea how we feel, nor do they care.

[FlamingPhoenix]

Beautifully rhymed and cleverly penned. "Contrasting shadows masquerade as light"~very much enjoyed that imagery!

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your detailed review, FlamingPhoenix! All things are relative. The brightest shade for us is just the brighter shade that we are aware of.

[A. Amos]

This piece is finest of all I read, i truly enjoy the flow and what I like about your work is; the way you share the darker side of life with brutal honesty...just mesmerizing work of art. Bravo!

We all have evil in ourselves
Some turn wise leave mistakes
Its better to be on right side
Evil don't gaveup easy our lives always on stake

[Aethereal]

Thank you for your detailed review and gift poem, A. Amos! We learn the "right side" by trial and error. The evil if found in making the same mistake over and over again, never learning.

Learn or Burn

Are we evil or naive?
We learn from mistakes.
Knowing not what to believe,
we do what it takes.

[A. Amos]

That is so true my friend
Better to love others
Help souls even go further
Life is a joke anytime will end

You're most welcome

[Aethereal]

Mind

We’re the Universe’s mind.
We must stumble. We must fall.
Each of us must thus unwind
if we are to learn at all.

[Dhaye]

Wow! I love the format of this. The concept is amazing. Evil is everywhere...and it's playing like an angel to us, but actually leading us to darkness.
I have a good read.

[Aethereal]

Thanks, for your detailed review, Marguerite! The choice is never between right and wrong, but rather it only has to do with that one choice that represents the lesser evil among many if we have the ability to recognize it before a greater evil hurts us.

[Dhaye]

Indeed. You're welcome, A.

[Jack...]

It sure does seem that way my friend. Evil lurks around every corner offering beautiful bouquets of mostly everything we don't need. Very nicely done.

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your colorful review, Jack! Beautiful bouquets of nerve gas I'm afraid, the last I heard the news. Be sure to expand the picture.

[Jack...]

Just did...it's fits nicely.

[Aethereal]

Perhaps on the next Explorer Probe to leave our solar system we should include this picture to warn aliens not to travel here. This painting would tell them more about humanity than any other.

[Jack...]

You've got that right my friend. Maybe I should get on that probe too.

[Great Aunt Astri]

A beautifully structured poem. Nicely opened up with a question.
I have a slight problem with 'evil'. Does it really exist, or is t just something we do with it?

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your detailed review, Great Aunt Astri! Evil may be defined in evolutionary terms as anything that interferes with the long term survival of our species. There's evil aplenty on this planet by that definition. There're other definitions, but what do those other definitions mean if we're driven into extinction if we follow them as we ignore what we all must do to increase the probability of species survival?

[Distantview123]

A good, inventive write. There are varying degrees of evil, just like there are many shades of grey, but evil is still evil, of course. The last two lines pose a pertinent question. So far, history tells us that we do not really learn from our mistakes (as a species) and that warfare is seemingly in our DNA. Certainly a thought-provoking write, and a well composed one. ~ Robert.

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your detailed review, Robert! Perhaps warfare is in the DNA of all intelligent life forms such as us throughout our galaxy, and this is why outer space isn't filled with electromagnetic messages from other solar systems. Intelligent life seems to have as built-in method of self-extinction. I assume that the dinosaurs existed longer than we did on this planet because they lacked our intelligence. The misuse of intelligence is stupidity. Stupidity doesn't apply to those who lack intelligence.

[unexpectedsparkle]

I love it. The words you use are really good, they add almost a connotative meaning to it.

[Aethereal]

Thanks for suggesting that my words hint at that which is larger than life, unexpectedsparkle! Connotations are in the mind of the beholder. When we take a hard look at our world as it is, we can't help but see 'em.

[unexpectedsparkle]

words reflect emotions. you just have to pick the right ones to create the right feel.(:

[Aethereal]

Yes, indeed, but my subconscious mind does all the picking when I'm under the spell of an inspiration.

[AmandaN]

Brilliant. Great word use and nice flow.thanks

[Aethereal]

Thanks for your detailed review, AmandaN!