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

[DRAGO]

it feels ominous ____________--

[Inject Positivity]

Starting with some dark creatures it moves on in a phase where you are trying to say that your frnds are in pain, and you want help from others to help them come out of such mysterious spell of darkness... It's a creepy write at first place but says a lot about your care for for your frnds... Well done Alicia... You did helped someone to come out of darkness...

Sincerely
Dhiman

[AliciaB]

Thank you! Yes, it's supposed to be creepy at first glance, but upon another read it's revealed that the entire poem is actually about people in situations of pain. I am very glad that you are getting better. Keep walking towards the light. You will get through this. You are inspiration!

[Inject Positivity]

Now you have inspired me to write something... You are reminding me my poem "kindness Is Contagious" thank you so much Alicia...

[AliciaB]

You are most welcome! I'm glad. :)

[Shabeeh Haider]

One gets the impression that this poem refers to spooky creatures and evil spirits that come out in the dark but as one reads on between the lines it becomes glaringly obvious that you are talking about people who you know, those who have certain fears and are being staked by their own past.
Nicely written.

[AliciaB]

Thank you! You totally got it!

[GalaxyGhost]

From what I take on this, people can hide in darkness but for different reasons. One can hide to escape reality and aren't honest with themselves or others while another would hide because they are hurting and don't want to hurt or worry others and shame can be a part of that. In any case, we want those people to be their best selves and need some sort of help.

[AliciaB]

Thank you! Yes, you are right (I mean, it is poetic interpretation, so you're right no matter what. XD) What I was trying to do with this was make it seem like it's about creepy things, like evil spirits, initially, drawing on the idea of "friends in dark places" having a sinister connotation. (Think of the Voodoo Man's "friends on the other side" from Princess and the Frog, if you've seen the movie.) But then it's revealed that the poem is about real people - human friends - who are going through dark situations like depression, abuse, etc. Not sure how well it came across, but I tried. :)