In the darkest hour
Of the warmest night
Comes a soul
That used to shine bright

It drifts up the streets
And down the sidewalks
And watches as smiles fall
With the final chime of the clock

The black seeps in the cracks
Through the puddles buried in your mind
Poisoning the water
And twisting your thoughts into a bind

Charcoal scrapes away every surface
Leaving behind an inky mess
Drowning out all the light
And replacing pools with darkness

The burns are left behind
When the night is washed away
As a reminder of the pain
That you feel every day

However, that midnight torture is entrapment
Of the mind
Of the body
Of the soul

But it’s not really dark
It’s as bright as the sun
It’s only shrouded
Cloaked in all-consuming shadows waiting to come undone