deepundergroundpoetry.com
Beyond the Ken
He stumbles in the growing dark
The dropping curtain of the night
Admittedly, his fear is stark
Dreading what lies beyond his sight
He hears chanting in the hall
Words beyond this day and age
Some voices in a petty squall
Others fired by pure rage
The sound of phantoms in the air
And he is finally drawn
The unknown murmurs on the stair
Until the breaking dawn:
"We are those you cannot see
But we are always near
If you hold dread, then we are free
And nourished by your fear."
The dropping curtain of the night
Admittedly, his fear is stark
Dreading what lies beyond his sight
He hears chanting in the hall
Words beyond this day and age
Some voices in a petty squall
Others fired by pure rage
The sound of phantoms in the air
And he is finally drawn
The unknown murmurs on the stair
Until the breaking dawn:
"We are those you cannot see
But we are always near
If you hold dread, then we are free
And nourished by your fear."
Published 13th Sep 2018
Author's Note
Suggested by my own fear of the unknown.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 7
reading list entries 0
comments 13
reads 447
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
Anonymous
13th Sep 2018 00:52am
Very good indeed, dear Crowfly. The fear of the unknown is, I believe, every creatures fear. We are afraid of what we ignore. The biggest unknown is death. Beautiful words. Humanising the unknown gives us something to look for and makes our fears more manageable. Loved it. J
13th Sep 2018 1:15am
A fine comment, Juvenalis. The fear of death is paramount, and no one really knows what's around the corner otherwise. The willful ignorance is a defense mechanism, and a fragile one. The trick is to just keep moving and whistle past the graveyard. Thanks so much!
13th Sep 2018 1:46am
Bravo Sir Crow! I empathize with this piece. As a child I was paralyzed by darkness...the plight of one with an overly active imagination. Then I discovered late night comedy radio shows. The unknown is definitely The crux of the fear.
14th Sep 2018 8:14pm
I've always had the idea that what you can't see can do you vast harm. That's my paranoia. The kind of diversion you found - comedy - is great therapy. What you can laugh at goes down in flames.
13th Sep 2018 3:22am
Nice & spooky! Fear of the unknown & the dark are pretty universal, I think.
I've recently taken a liking to walking in the dark though... intentionally NOT using a flashlight when walking through forests or campgrounds at night. It is thrilling and liberating all at once. Hm, I think there's a poem in there..... you've inspired me, thanks!
I've recently taken a liking to walking in the dark though... intentionally NOT using a flashlight when walking through forests or campgrounds at night. It is thrilling and liberating all at once. Hm, I think there's a poem in there..... you've inspired me, thanks!
14th Sep 2018 8:19pm
You're welcome! I once got lost in one of the darkest part of Yosemite and that turned out to be a total nightmare that heightened my own fear of the unknown due to the unseen stabbing of a fellow camper. My own fear of the dark was thus heightened. I slowly got over it, although I'm in no shape for more camping. Thanks brokentitanium!
13th Sep 2018 1:51pm
Yes, ghosts and ghouls are sometimes part of our imagination:) Crowfly...but only sometimes.
14th Sep 2018 8:21pm
I like that "sometimes." I happen to believe in ghosts even if I've never actually seen one. Thanks Grace!
15th Sep 2018 12:38pm
13th Sep 2018 3:25pm
Nicely captured - we fear the experience of fear ... and that's what keeps it going. Some claim to have no fear - lucky them - but I'm still working on it. :)
14th Sep 2018 8:52pm
So am I. I've got a multitude of fears clamoring for my attention, but I try to laugh in their face. It's either that or choke. Thank you Josh!
14th Sep 2018 4:45am
Those things that go bump in the night. Or tease your fear with glimpses from the corner of an eye. A fascinating subject.
14th Sep 2018 8:54pm
Most personal fears are usually subtle in origin, then magnified by our minds. Sometimes that mere glimpse out of the corner of the eye is enough to get things started. Thanks Eerie!
