Darkness

It acts as a poison, a parasite:

Always taking, but never giving.

But it is smart,

often disguising itself as a temporary escape, a place to hide fromt the cold, heartless world.

Before you know it, you're trapped.

Its got you hooked, like a fish caught at the end of a fisherman's pole

It feeds away at your soul, a hunger that can never be satisfied

It consumes all hapiness, joy, and zest

It steals the smile on your face, the sparkle in your eyes, and it kills all laughter from your heart

 

It spreads like an out of control virus

and covers every corner of your heart.

Once it targets its victim, nothing can hide from it.

Like acid, it burns away the doors that have been locked and chained

in order to protect the precious secrets that lay within. 

 

It is a slow process, many of its victims may not recognize it at first

they may dismiss it as stress, worry, or lack of sleep.

But after a time, there is no denying it.

For it extinguishes the fire burning inside you,

leaving instead pain that cannot be described.

It is almost as if the darkness has given birth to more parasites

that keep growing and growing, until you feel numb with pain.

 

If left unadressed, this pain becomes familiar

As time passes, it can mutate-

This pain seems like a friend, something that has stayed with you, all this time

It feels warm, comfortable, and inviting.

This virus doesn't only poison the soul, it effects the mind as well.

It can make you forget how the pain really does make you feel,

how it tears at your soul, like vultures surrounding a fresh carcass.

 

As it sucks the fire still burning inside you,

some start to fight, they don't give up easily.

but the darkness, it grows stronger the more it feeds.

if left untreated for too long, it can even destroy life,

sucking up every last breath, thought, and emotion as if it is a black hole.

Consuming everything, until there is nothing left,

sometimes making it seem as if there was nothing there at all.

but it doesn't stop there, once it takes one life, it hunts down its next victim.

Ones who are weak, perhaps ones the loved ones of the one

whose life it just claimed, fall victim to this twisted darkness 

 

It never stops, never rests,

It has existed since the dawn of time

and has been feeding on helpless, hopeless people for centuries.

Is there a cure for this life sucking parasite?

No ones knows.

 

Many people have their own theories, but do any of them really work?

Some try to find the answer in librarys or supportive stories told and written by others who have battled this same darkness and survived.

Some try to find comfort in their familys and friends

Some spend their money on trained professionals that claim to help you overcome your problems

And some seek the comforts of religion, hoping there is a god who can save us from this pain.

But others who are unable to stand and fight, try to run.

 

They distract themselves in their work, not caring about sleep.

They drown themselves with alcohal, not bothering to wonder, how much is too much?

They bury themselves with drugs, not worring about whether they will wake up to see the next day.

 

How do we fall prey to this destructive pest,

that is invisible, but causes so much damage?

How do we fight against this unwanted virus?

And how do we encourage those that have fallen prey,

to stand up and fight, that there is hope?

 

I guess for some of us, all we can do is live each day at a time

and know that there is always someone who cares. 

 

Reviews

[justjenn_2u]

Wow! I needed to read this TODAY. At a moment when the devil is trying to clench me again, drag me back down the valley of despair, it's nice to be able to read a poem that serves as a reminder of where I will be again if I relapse. My interpretation of this poem is that you are speaking of addiction.

Well written! I could almost feel myself taking a small journey down memory lane - reminding me of how rock bottom I became. Once we eat the apple (applying to addiction), we are cursed forever. Sometimes I find it so hard to fathom that addiction is so powerful. Why it never goes away! Always this dark cloud that wants to hover over the recovering addicts and sadly, for a lifetime. Some days are better than others, but on the days when temptation sets back in - I am so lucky to make it through that day. I have to take it one moment at a time. Thanks for sharing!

[Bexers]

This was absolutely amazing. I am clapping for you. If you are talking about bipolar/depression then you nailed it right on the head because as SOON as I started to read this, I felt this is what you were talking about.

Being a "victim" I guess you could say of both has made me more attune to how people write about them. Because my depression became my lover for a while and I was trying to please it as best as I could.

[Amy]

AWSOME!!! I cant wait to read more! Check out my chapter Practice makes perfect!