ABOVE THE ABYSS

The fathomless abyss

Encircles us all,

Beckons, summons,

Grows ever-nearer the call.

We dance on the edge,

Counting the days,

Grapple for footing,

In this cold, desolate place.

Watch those around us

Succumb to its pull,

Teeter on the rim,

In this life, uncertain and cruel.

Its dark, deadly hand

On our hearts has a grip.

We struggle, hold tightly,

Try not to slip.

Peer into its depths

And ponder our fate.

What lies below?

What blackness awaits?

A terror of our own making,

Yet difficult to avoid.

Our hope sometimes wavers,

Our faith is devoid.

So unfair, so unjust;

No reason, no rhyme.

How close now? It’s looming,

Fear we are running out of time.

We push it aside,

And run from its edge,

But at the same time, wonder

What is there to dread?

So easy it would be

Into its depths to descend,

Fall into the darkness,

Let our pain and hunger end.

Enticing, yet frightening –

Do we embrace or decline?

It’s a game, a dilemma

That plays out in our minds.

We long for answers,

For an end to this torturous reign

Strive to understand, to contend,

To stay sane.

The chasm, it calls,

It entreats, it insists,

But we rail against it,

Raise our fists and resist.

Somehow claw our way up

And fight to survive,

Cling to a flickering hope,

And resolve to stay alive.

Make it to the daylight,

Just to begin it all again,

Find the will to go on,

To endure to the end.

Far above the chasm,

Well above the abyss,

Lives a light, a beacon,

“Remain,” it insists.

So we pray for those fallen,

Beg mercy for those on the edge,

Find a way to crawl forward,

Back away from the ledge.

The boundless pit of despair,

Of hopelessness and death,

Ever looms before us;

Yet we pause, take a breath.

We are here a moment more,

Must hold our ground, refuse to slide,

As we dance on the edge,

Walk the tightrope, abide.

Life is fragile, it’s uncertain,

And tragedies abound,

But we are here, and we are blessed,

Meaning is to be found.

The Light from above,

Which sometimes blinds and obscures,

Also has the power

To heal and to cure.

It can give us the will

And the strength to go on,

Surround us with mercy

Usher in a new dawn.

Surrounded by sadness,

By blackness and grief,

It steadies us, uplifts us,

Provides mercy and peace.

Seeps into our souls,

Drags us up from the pit,

Shines a beam into the darkness,

Brings us out of the abyss.