COMES THE NIGHT

In the glistening warmth of the sun,

In the glorious light of the day,

No worries, no concerns, no cares,

All my trials and troubles far away.

No sorrow, no qualms, no regrets,

No frailties or infirmities to be seen,

Hopeful, blissful, and optimistic –

What on earth could happen to me?

Far below me, all creation cries its tears,

But I am blinded by the magnificent light,

Oblivious to the broken and downtrodden,

Turn my eyes from their miserable plight.

Artfully avert my downward glance,

Perhaps all the misfortune will go away,

Walking the enlightened path,

From my righteousness, I will not stray.

The sunshine is simply splendid,

The future burns quite bright,

No need to dwell on hardships –

But all at once, down comes the night.

Comes the night and all the darkness,

Bitter, harsh, and cold,

Frightened, stunned, and shaken,

Chilled to the brittle bone.

What once was mine is lost,

As pleasure turns swiftly to pain,

Lose the day, lose the warmth, lose my footing,

Sunlight transforms into rain.

Hellish beasts and demons,

Appear the creatures of the dark,

Cruelly haunted by my long-dead past,

Become wounds of my once hardened heart.

The tomb that is hollow and empty,

Beckons, calls to me,

The grave, profound and hidden,

Now forever can be seen.

The depths of despair and anguish,

In the ones who are less than whole,

The fate of all the abandoned ones,

Now pierces my once lost soul.

Some will declare their disbelief,

But I know the story far too well,

It lies buried deep inside of me,

And it is mine alone to tell.

The pages turn before me,

Swiftly, fleetingly, they fly,

So far from the glorious beginning,

When I believed I had more time.

I had no great love, no tenderness,

During my days in the blessed light,

No concern or solace for the lesser ones;

They barely entered my mind.

I have found that fate’s a cruel teacher,

But an effective one nonetheless.

I have become a scholar in hardship,

A dazzling master of hopelessness.

So I offer up a warning

To you whose hearts and souls are black –

The shades have been thrown open,

Find the mercy you seem to lack.

The sunrise can once again return,

Not only for me but for you,

But you must be willing, be open

Must help those around you begin anew.

Those unfortunates who have passed over,

From bright daylight into dark night,

Need kindness, understanding, and mercy.

Will you take up our burdensome fight?

You soulless souls find it arduous

To pause and peer into the dark,

But you must, for the sake of your own sakes,

Spark the fire in your cold, dead hearts.

Illumination comes from the inside,

And not, as you believed, from without,

Have compassion on the untouchables,

Radiate your brilliance throughout.

For it is only your benevolence,

We anchor our fragile hopes upon,

Only your kindness and gentleness,

That reawakens the dawn.