Mind numbing, the silence brings us to our knees. After the air is drained from our lungs all that is left is the utter silence. The brutal screams coming to a sudden stop. The silence echoed with words left unsaid. The questions ripped away from our mouths and silence sealing our lips. We try to outrun it to no avail. There is no escaping. 

Blue satin and pale skin,

A flash of light illuminating a dark red room.

Bodies moving in time to a silent song,

Slowly, timelessly,

Suspended in a state of partial awareness.

A soft murmur of breath,

The sensual feel of silk gliding over human form.

The silence is heavy with unheard sound.

Movement ceases then begins,

Uneven clockwork,

Meticulous in its entirety,

Flawed when taken apart.

A structure built to perfection

Meant to last a lifetime,

But no one will stay forever,

A temporary palace filled with all the desires of a heart.

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Yes, aren't we all?"

"No, not me."

"But why?"

"Darkness is so beautiful and calming" 

As I lie awake in the dark 

I think of all the possibilities,

All the places I could visit,

All the people I could meet

All the memories I could make 

All the things I could do, if I wasn't afraid 

So no, I am not afraid of the dark

Darkness is the one thing that doesn't scare me

It gives me courage and strength and power 

As I lie awake in the dark 

I become who I want to be 

In my mind, all my dreams turn into reality 

The light is what scares me the most 

When daylight hits that's when I start to worry,

for along with the sun comes my reality.

What shall

I call myself?

Neither sinner

nor saint:

nothing

so extreme,

for I walk

that narrow line

between.

Do not name

me dreamer

or schemer,

though both

I have been.

Open your mind:

and see

a better person,

learning.

Call that name,

for I may

hear it

on the wind

and come

running.

Fragile fringes -

Forged from forced freedom.

Forlorn fights -

Fed flighty fists.

Faithless friend -

Forgiven.

Fiendish foe -

Forgotten.

It hits the surface

Slowly driven into the mass

Echoing over glass

Negative energy dissipating into purity

Blood in flowing water

Wash away the pain

Shrug off the fog of the day

Strive for thought

And ignore the union

Mediocre stereotypes ensure me all is okay

Nothing groundbreaking today

In this free flowing pond of dead fish

Shades to blow out life

Lies and strife

The popularity game

Cultures manufactured into demented echoes of shit

I try to make light but I can’t swallow any of it

The small talk

It drives my brain to drink

To dumb down into the swill of bullshit

The impoverished hopes and dreams of paper kings

Trying to be better than everyone

Pull the masks of conmen over your face

Your lies, your tries, they are a disgrace

Chasing a world that is better than you…

Revolt

© Richard Withey. All rights reserved.

War’s wounded

Famine’s flotsam

Ragged rejects

Lesser lives

Collecting crumbs

Scarcely survive.

Huddled, hopeless, humanity

Uncounted, unwanted, unloved

Forgetting freedom’s fantasy.