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Haunted
by zed Thursday, Aug 20 2015, 2:33am
international / poetry / post

a ghost that cannot be exorcised
taunts humanity
it issues from the ‘dark side’
admitted and embraced
by leaders of the star and spangle
that serve it

its malevolence knows no limit
the blood of countless innocents
it consumes to satiate its
diabolical thirst

it is the antithesis of life,
of everything good and worthy
of existence under the sun

whispering constantly in our left ear,
it seduces us to acquiesce to murder,
plunder, destruction, apathy
and selfishness

it finds expression only in our weakness
and complacence but is held in check
by the moral and courageous qualities
we all possess

there is no killing this thing, it is our other side,
named the great adversary by some
but it may be contained by our nobility,
bravery, compassion and will to
survive

we must bind this demon or be
enslaved and destroyed by its
unspeakable evil.
there are no options but to fight
or die
freedom is a dream if we fail
to resist, our joy remains crucified
if we surrender

discover it staring back in a mirror
informing us
with its corrupting visage
that we must act and be vigilant against it
there is no evading it,
we must confront it or perish -
you know this is true