Out of the Darkness

15 Comments

Poem Commentary

This poem was not intended to be dark but rather to draw attention to man's inhumanity as evidenced by the recent senseless murder of a young man in Chicago and the senseless gang rape of a fifteen year old girl in Richmond, CA.
It would appear to me that their comes a time when we must look upon those that commit such heinous crimes as being unsalvageable.  

Out of the Darkness

O spurious clouds on high

do not attempt to deceive me

by blocking out the sun’s light as I

seek a path out of the darkness.

 

The barriers are many and my

will is weakened by the

 shallowness of a world

 that has lost its way.

 

The depths of my despair

are like a cavernous abyss

that would devour me

should I remain in this place.

 

To journey to the light

is my only hope of salvation

least I perish in this land that

 has gone mad before my eyes.

 

The beauty that would be

is shrouded in a glaucous mist    

of inhumanity and uncaring

that thickens by the hour.

 

Must I dwell in this satanic realm

and act as witness to horrific

acts by those that call themselves

humans while acting as beasts?

 

It would seem that the reptilian part

 of man’s brain remains dominant

as he murders and rapes simply

for his own personal edification.

 

Has the munificentcy of mankind

vanished entirely as struggles for supremacy

  in every aspect of life cannibalize

 the minds of once reasonable men?

 

As natant birds that hunker in their

 nests to escape the storm

I feel that I have been cast adrift in a

 sea of madness from which there is no escape.

 

The light grows dimmer as I wrap the watery blanket

around me and disappear beneath its surface with the

 hope that it will provide my passage back to the light.

And the once ominous clouds disappear from view.

 

©Copyright Charlie Gragg Oct. 29, 2009   

Poem Comments

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Artie commented on Out of the Darkness

11-08-2009

This is one of my new favorites. Everything you say in this remarkable piece, many of us have felt before. It's difficult to not want to strike back in vengeance at those who would commit such acts. It's even more difficult to sit back and do nothing more than hope the system takes care of it. Either way, you are forever changed from it. The thing I fear most, is becoming the monster you hunt. 10 from me

Hampton

11/08/2009

Your comments reflect that you are as infuriated as I am with the seemingly uncaring world we live in. Peace.

mamasan commented on Out of the Darkness

11-08-2009

Yes, there is no possible reason or explanation for these heinous crimes; but we must enter that darkness and ask whether it is a reflection of society at its worse. Killing has become so commonplace in this realm as witnessed by the many wars raging and brought to our t.v. each day and not as a reason for these crimes but the adage comes to mind: Violence begets violence............

Hampton

11/08/2009

Thank you for your comments.

SinnerSaint commented on Out of the Darkness

11-06-2009

Bob Dylan said, I was born here and I'll Die here, Against my will, it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still. This poem reminds of those words and the very detail of the despair that comes with living in this lost world. Knowing we must live here, and that here we will die. Against any of our wills. Enjoyed this poem very much and appreciate the comments you made on mine.

Hampton

11/06/2009

Thank you for reading and commenting.

devaamido commented on Out of the Darkness

11-04-2009

Excellent Hampton!! This one is in my opinion, one of your very best...technically & structurally sound & straight from the heart. You're on a roll, my friend!

Hampton

11/04/2009

I must have had one too many glasses of red wine. Thanks for the nice comments.

dahlusion commented on Out of the Darkness

11-02-2009

"Must I dwell in this satanic realm and act as witness to horrific acts by those that call themselves humans while acting as beasts?" — this is unsheathed poetic power, this piece speaks to all who understand that humans are not God's spiritually triumphant creatures. Dark, perfectly dark, honest, and visionary.

Hampton

11/02/2009

Thank you for your kind comments. The write was a special one for me as it provided an outlet for my anger and repulsion.

If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) American poet.

Hampton’s Poems (111)

Title Comments
Title Comments
Searching 5
The Poetess 14
Nonsense 12
Solitude 18
Lame Limericks 14
Message to Papa 15
Young Jimmy O’Fallon 11
The Computer From Hell 18
Life Ain’t for Sissies 16
The Mind In Motion 13
The Game of Poetry 9
Silence 55
WordSlinger 19
Holiday Thoughts 12
Sweet Mary 18
From White to Grey to Black 19
The Reckoning 12
And All of That Jazz 16
Today 25
No Offense, Just My Opinion 16
Lucky 10
You’re Only as Old as You Feel 13
Saturday Night 13
Political Change? 14
The Female Gender 17
I’m In Charge Here, Aren’t I? ( With Epilogue) 10
I’m In Charge Here, Aren’t I? 7
Remembering 11
This Web We Weave 13
The End 16
The Day the Clouds Cried 16
The Path of Life 12
My Mother Ruth 12
Forever–ast
er
11
Humanities Challenge 14
A Cowboy's Perspective 12
July in Buda Texas 14
The OP Poets Parade 20
The Chatelaine 12
Shot Through the Heart 17
Poetry and Fine Wine 18
The Man What Am 10
The Final Beat of My Heart 16
The Rainbow of Poets 19
A Cowboy's Lament 13
Of This World I am Not 17
The Wee People 19
An Evening at an Irish Pub 15
The Scent of Love 14
Fresh News from Buda Texas 16
Memories of Times Past 13
The Dance of the Poets 20
The Confession 14
Road to Obscurity 18
Barbara 14
Shadows 15
Prescience 17
Words That Bind 54
Wondering 26
New Year News from Buda Texas 13
We Are All Witnesses 16
Christmas 25
A Cowboy’s Prayer 29
The 9 ers 24
Love Defined 27
Tis a Time to Give Thanks 21
More News From Buda Texas 26
Choices 26
News from Buda, Texas 21
In Search of God 21
Writers of Poems (WOPs) 26
Out of the Darkness 15
Visions from Within the Mist 18
Baseball 12
The Night Stalker 16
The Man I Presume to be Buck 16
The Sounds of Time 17
The Little Man in the Green Hat 18
Blah Blah Blah 14
One Two Three 13
Carpe Viam 11
Love in the Afternoon 13
The Moth 14
Lost & Dungeons of the Mind 11
The Creative Process 19
The Truth and the Tribe 19
The Long Wait. 19
Feathers 26
The Arrow 14
Take Two Cialis and Call Me in the Morning 26
Ghostly Images 16
Friends 11
Angels Without Wings 20
IN MY OWN WORDS 13
The Rider 16
Pride and Shame 18
The Winning Poet is.... 21
Memories 13
Politicians 67
Your Mailbox Is Empty 18
God's Visit 17
Poets and Poems 20
Love Thy Neighbor 13
Renewal 8
The Roar of Silence 17
Blessed Are These Days 4
Time and Space 5
Life's Journey 8
Gift To The Fallen 16
Hunger 21
The Antique Shop 30