Poem – Dancing with Demons

They say we all dance with demons when night
falls and the lines between our worlds thin.
When alone in the comfort of our own space
and company, we fall easy prey to their call.
But only some are tortured with their constant
presence in the daylight and how they linger.
Demons piggyback, latch themselves to souls.
One hand wraps tightly around your throat until
your breath comes faster, panic sets in.
Their weight placed on weak shoulders, too
much to bear, until your knees begin to buckle.
Until you feel that any thrown stone, any
misspoken words would shatter your existence.
Their vicious tongue delicately caresses your
ear as their devilish voice overtakes your own,
Destroying every remaining string of light and
casting your world in deep, depressing grays.
Nothing is precious, nothing is safe from their
probing fingers, dirty nails picking old scabs.
Painful memories and insults once entombed
are violently pulled back to the surface
By a voice so seductive you cannot truly ignore,
lured to it like sailors to sirens.
Until your mind is what they possess, plaguing
your thoughts until all you see is dark.
Once in their embrace, enchanted by a wicked
grin, to rid oneself of them is no easy feat.
For when you think that they have gone, when
you believe you’ve exorcised yourself free,
They emerge unscathed from the recesses of your
mind to bring you back to your knees.