Shadows Ever Darken

When you become comfortable with your own disillusion

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

Often when we’re in a rut, one of the ways we humans cope with it is to indulge it. To convince ourselves that it’s not us that is messed up, but the world instead. In this poem, loosely based on Plato’s allegory of the cave, I write form the perspective of someone in the middle of this indulgence, forsaking truth for their own comfortability. It’s sad watching people do this, we see it far too often. I hope you enjoy this one!

I’ve become quite comfortable with my heavy chains.

The cackles bouncing ‘round my cave no longer sound insane.

The shackles bent around my wrists can cause me no more pain,

And in my doleful, dingy den I need not deal with rain.

The longer I’m alone down here, the less people are worth.

They scoff at me for choosing to reside under the earth.

Where nothing true can come to light for light does not get in

And all the truth I need for now can be found within.

In my introspection - as that’s all that have left,

I begin to realise I’m both stubborn and bereft.

What deception else have I deserted my world for?

I can’t even remember the bugbear that I bore.

I can’t bear to go back now I’ve made my rocky bed.

I’ll have to settle for my fraction of the truth instead.

I can’t see the outside world; all I can do is harken,

The light is far too bright; so I’ll watch shadows ever darken.