Friends in Dark Places

Take care.

I have friends in dark places.

They lurk in the shadows,

Behind doors, under blankets,

Slipping furtively away from those who seek them,

Never more than a flicker

In the corner of your eye.

Sometimes they walk in plain sight,

But you’ll never see their faces.

They’re quick to put on a pleasant mask,

Innocuous smiles artfully concealing

The blackness that festers beneath.

My friends know how to spin a web of words,

Leading you down the path of one belief

While the horror of the real story passes silently alongside you

And you never think to take a second glance.

My friends know that when you’re alone,

You’re vulnerable,

And darkness fills their eyes

As they go to where no one will find the evidence

And they steel themselves against the fearful voices

And they raise the silver blade, flashing in the moonlight -

And they put it to their own throats.

I have friends in dark places,

And right now, they need our help.

Read again.

Author's Note

Thoughts? Did the dual meaning come across clearly? There's a high likelihood I'm the only one who understands my ramblings... wouldn't be the first time...

Reviews

[LittleBear]

I really enjoyed this poem. It was fine work. I went to read it three times. When I first began reading it, I almost felt that this poem was possibly about someone who sees ghost or maybe has schizophrenia . . . but upon further reading I began to change my mind. With each line the meaning gets deeper and deeper. I am still not completely certain that I have the correct meaning but I am almost feeling that this is about people who have been abused; the few on the out group that are so hurt that they hurt others or themselves - suicidal, depressed. I feel passion in your words and it touched my heart. I most certainly would not call this ramblings . . . I hope I have given you a suffice review seeing as I love your poetry and you always give amazing reviews yourself

[AliciaB]

Thank you very much! Yes, you are correct - at its core, this poem is about those who battle depression, abuse, self-harm, and other forms of "darkness" in their lives. I greatly appreciate the in-depth review, but don't worry about it being "enough" - everything is appreciated! :)

[Treason and Metal]

It's really great a little grainy on the comprehend part but a lot of introspection an thinking and the meaning comes through clean and cut.. gotta ask u do u review poems and can u review my amateur ravings

[Dianne S Penfold]

This is scary. It reminds me of demons lurking in the shadows that someone befriends. That being said, it was skillfully written. Good imagery and the rhythm of the lines flow nicely. Well done.

[Treason and Metal]

I like the horror it passes through.. And the clearness of the depression and suffering of the narrator (writer or personal) really appreciate this art..

[Emily]

Love that first line!
It really drew me in!
Keep it up!!

[AliciaB]

Thank you!

[Raylene]

Very powerful piece here many people hide themselves because they may not like the real them yet I like it how you say they need help for maybe if they had a real friend they would come out of their mask

[AliciaB]

Thank you!

[Raylene]

Anytime my dear friend

[------]

Your "friends" being the inner voices? This is something I can relate to, deeply. I truly love how you've written this.

[AliciaB]

Yes. On one level, they are our darkest mental voices, our personal "demons," if you will, and on another, they are the real human beings in situations of suffering who often go ignored or unnoticed. I am glad you could relate to this. Thank you for the review!

[barleygirl]

To me, this isn't one bit mysterious. It's crystal clear. You are writing my life here & probably many people's lives. I think we are all hiding our true selves most of the time. You've stated it here in a very creative way, contrasting "dark" and "light" with examples that anyone can translate using their own experiences. I find this surprising, the way it ends . . . a plea to help those who are hiding, plus the plea to "read again" . . . I'm not sure that it's always a good thing to help people out of their darkness, as they probably need the protection from the harshness that can be so prevalent all around us. And "read again" suggests that maybe we didn't get your deeper meaning?

[AliciaB]

Actually, you're right about the "read again"... I wasn't entirely expecting people to get the deeper meaning on the first go, but you did! :) I tried to construct this so that it initially appears to be dealing with dark spirits, "demons," etc. - as if the speaker's involved in voodoo or something, for lack of a better explanation. Spooky, but thematically speaking, not that deep. But then there's the big reveal that this is actually about real people in situations of "darkness." It seems you reached that conclusion right off the bat, which is very interesting. I've been getting a lot of mixed interpretations of this poem. It's quite intriguing to see how people's different backgrounds lead them to see the poem in a different light at first glance. Thank you for the review! I appreciate it!

[barleygirl]

I think you did a very delicious job of shrouding your meaning in a slightly macabre cloak.

[AliciaB]

Thank you! I enjoy your choice of adjectives. :)

[Ananya]

Yes, the meaning comes through clearly. You really are a beautiful, kind soul.

[AliciaB]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

[Einstein Noodle]

i read this as an internal journey all the way thru to the last couplet ... because we all have those dark "friends" as you say ..we exorcise them and take their power when we bring them to light ..so very hard sometimes because they can be terror and anxiety too much to bare ..but the friends on the streets and byways that you speak of do certainly need our help ..when they are ready ..they might take it eh!? your poem is crystal clear to me .. i have known so many of different brands ... some close as family... some strangers .. your closing line is perfect ..."Read again" ..so apropos ..nice one!
E.

[AliciaB]

Thank you very much! Yes, there is certainly a dual meaning to this poem - the idea of internal "demons" was meant to serve almost as a red herring until the actual message, that of real people in terrible situations, was revealed. I'm very glad you appreciated the layers behind this. Thanks again!

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

There's a song called "friends in low places," I don't know if it was an inspiration for this poem, and I'm not sure what you're talking about in this poesy, though I'm pretty sure it's human or a metaphor of. I am known for overthinking things!!! But it was very well penned/expressed. What was it about?

[AliciaB]

I've never heard that song, but looking at the lyrics, it's kind of what I was getting at, vaguely. I tend to overthink things too! :) What I was trying to do with this poem is make it seem like it was about dark spirits or demons or something like that at first (hence the "friends in dark places"), but eventually reveal that it's in fact about people in painful situations like depression, abuse, etc. - real friends living in darkness. Thank you for the review!

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

Oh okay. I thought that at first, but the idea of a demon at a friend was unacceptable to my mind, so then i thought what you said second or that it was an animal.