THE OTHERS

We walk among the shadows

And live behind the veil,

Locked in another world,

One dull and dark and pale.

Just a few shades shy of whole,

Peering now through the looking glass,

Mired in this desolate land,

Remembering fonder times past.

We once knew light and laughter,

Lived among the living,

Once strolled among the Others,

No apprehension or misgiving.

We cannot now embrace them,

Just beyond our reach,

They turn as if to stare,

Feel their gaze, but they do not see.

Invisible?  No – but shrouded,

Enveloped in a mist,

The others mill about us,

As if we do not exist.

They go about their carefree days,

Oblivious to our plight,

Ignore the gaunt apparitions,

Though we plead with all our might.

Our words, they must be muted,

Our appearance obscured by the haze,

Our struggle to cross back to their realm,

Unnoticed, unaware of our pain.

We yearn to feel the sunlight,

Co-exist in their brilliant world,

We cry out to be resurrected,

They hear, but we are not heard.

Dear Others who have such blessings,

Such contentment and such peace,

“Won’t you help us?” we beseech you,

We beg for our release.

Healthy and whole on the outside,

Free from the invisible cage,

You who are dead on the inside

Do you notice our cruel fate?

You who have been granted wellness,

Who know no pain or despair,

Pull back this shroud, this curtain,

That prevents us from joining you there.

Open your hearts to our calling,

Let your ears hear our distant cries,

Shine a light into our blackness,

Shed the scales that cloud your eyes.

For the veil between the worlds

Is your choosing, your will, your design,

And the unseen partition that divides us

Must be removed by the enlightened side.

Your eyes are blurred by callousness,

Instead of heartfelt tears,

But you can remove the blinders,

Your vision, at last, can be clear.

From behind the window, we entreat you:

Break the panes and remove the shards;

Crack open your shielded hearts,

And topple this house of cards. 

The ghostly world that entraps us,

Imperceptible but to the chosen few,

Can surely be made apparent,

Can again appear in plain view.

We ache to walk among you,

Leave this world so ethereal and frail,

Endeavor to rejoin you Others,

Are our petitions to no avail?

Who among you holds the mercy,

The tenderness and grace,

The perception and the wisdom,

To save us from our dark fate?

Please hear our unsung malady,

Find the compassion for which we long,

Once again embrace our presence,

Usher in for us a new dawn.