familiar pain

The darkness is not complete
The heart is not completely crushed
So that the shadows are easily visible
And the pain does not give way to peace
Whisperings - not audible - so not to be dismissed
"You have failed, you have failed"
Spoken in a secret language
By entities who speak, then smile,
Forgetting the power of their unrepented words
Nerve endings, straining at skin's surface
Starving for acknowledgment
Relief
The slightest pressure
The most fleeting of sensation
Tension - broken at the last moment
Only to begin to build for indefinite spans
Breathingthat is hallow
Straining within the lungs
Clausterphobic, ragged, laved with tears
That cannot be shed
Must not be shed -
For fear of drowning.
Hesitant questions asked, barely heard, "What is wrong?"
Not because the pain is hearbreaking to watch....
But because it irritates
And upsets the status quo.
And nothing changes
And the nerve endings wither
And the heart continues pumping in agony
And the lungs become thick with a tightening throat
And the stinging of the eyes
Is written off, blown away, discounted
Because it causes discomfort
And we might have to think
Or take a step beyond the path.
The first cut
May indeed be the deepest
But familiar pain
Is the darkest
Because we know it will always be our companion.
Because the other part of us
Is weary of our emptiness
And the voices
Would rather revile than comfort
And the good Samaritan
Doesn't like the color of our robes.