the darkness of us all

there is a degree of darkness
behind the eyes
it lies of emptiness

it takes a long hard look
at the world
and finds nothing
in the way of
redemption

it sees the poverty stricken
the weak
the torn and abandoned
the breathless
the casualties of greed
the beaten and bound
the torn and troubled

and it feeds itself on
the black
that parades itself in the light of day
like shadows dancing in fire

every day
this darkness rises behind the eyes
and gazes out into an unforgiving
existence
waiting to be taken advantage of
waiting for the inevitable pain
waiting for the hammer to drop

because every day
life turns
and churns
bringing new lessons in depravity

the voice of the darkness
understands the druggy
the alcoholic
the nymphomaniac
the depressed
the hurt
the broken

it understands
the cancers that eat
us all from day to day
it understands
anguish and denial
and tribulation
in the face of budding flowers
and sunshiny days

through all of this
the darkness never judges
it simply takes it all in
and allows it to be
never showing resistance

the darkness howls
when the moon rises
over curving clouds
in a black sky

the darkness shouts
when another child is abused
in a household
of venom and broken promises

the darkness cries
when another life is taken
in the name of some thankless god
for some pointless war
in some godforsaken part of the world
hellbent on exterminating
the believers of some other thankless god
in some other godforsaken part of the world

the darkness screams when another life
is beaten
for some reason beyond comprehension
that allows the hate to perpetuate
and fester
for the next generation
to repeat the process all over again

the darkness echoes as you read this
with your own darkness
and hopes to find another way to live
so the darkness of us all
can finally rest
in peace