NOT IN THE LIGHTEST

I THRIVE 

IN THE DARK

BESIDE MY SHADOW

WHICH I CANNOT SEE

THUS NAÏVELY

FOR MATTERS OF LIFE AND ITS CESSATION A PLAY ON WORDS

OUGHT NOT BE TRIALLED

HOW MANY A MINE DOES IT TAKE TO ERADICATE

FOR ALWAYS

THE DARKNESS OF THE MIND

EVISCERATE PLEASE

THE OBLIVIOUS PORTION OF THE BRAIN

WHERE THUS IT REIGNS

COMPASSION IS THE RAREST QUALITY TO COME BY ETERNALLY

IN WARRIORS

EVERY WAKING MOMENT

IN A WAR 

IS WASTEFULLY SPENT

THAT IS WAGED

WHETHER WITH CASUALTY

OR WITHOUT

IS A WAR INTRINSICALLY EVIL OR IS IT ONE’S PARTICIPATION IN IT THAT RENDERS IT SO

AN EXECUTION OF MASS EXTINCTION

WHETHER BEYOND THE HARVEST OF LABORIOUS THOUGHT

OR WITHIN

PER INTENT

WHOLLY IS

THE MOULD ON ONE’S TONGUE

EVER GROWING

WHICH EAGER TO DRAW THE CARNAGE OF THE ADVERSARY

BLEEDS ITSELF A LONER

BEFORE A BATTLE DONE

COULD EVEN

COMMENCE EVER

THE AUDACITY OF RAGING EGO

PROVOKED BY DECEIT

WHEN IT DOES SUCCEED

SPRUCES THE QUARRY 

TO ONE’S VICTORY

WHICH INTANGIBLE

IT FLOWS

AS WHOLESOME AN ENTITY

THE TRAPPINGS OF WATERFALLS

BOASTFULLY THE ORATOR DULY PLEADS THROUGH ANECDOTAL ACCOUNT 

RECITATIONS OF ENTITLED BRAG

GLORIFY

AND THEREFORE EMPHASISE

THE DEFEAT

OF ALL THOSE

WITHOUT GLORY

AND THE GORE THEREOF

TO BE FROWNED UPON

WAR IS BY NO MEANS AN ART FORM

FOR THERE IS ENJOYMENT TO BE HAD IN THE LATTER

THAT WAR DOES NOT

GROTESQUE MISFORTUNE NOT SO UNFORTUNATE

IN EIGHT YEARS SHY OF A CENTURY

THE INCOMPARABLE 

GRANDIOSE TREE 

HAD GROWN SO MUCH

ONLY FOR ITS BRANCHES

TO CULTIVATE AND GERMINATE

THEIR OWN DISEASE

YET 

STRIPPED 

BARE

STILL

THE TREE STOOD

BETTER OFF

SURPRISE DELIVERY

BLOOM SO ABRUPTLY

A FIREWORK DISTILLED

INTO A BOUQUET

UNFURLING CHAOS

CONSEQUENTIALLY ON CUE

MADNESS IN COLOURS

ASSERTIVELY VIBRANT

JUXTAPOSED AGAINST 

ONE’S MOOD

ONE POLLEN-COATED TENTACLE

FORLORN FROM THE POTENTIAL OF A THOUSAND

MORE

A TENTATIVE NEST

FREED AMONGST THE ATMOSPHERE

AS PALE AS A BLOATED CLOUD

IMPATIENTLY

A POOL ANTICIPATES DISCHARGE

OF ITSELF

LURES

LIKELY ONLY

THE APPETITE

BELONGING TO THAT 

BUZZING OR CHIRPING

SINGING OR CURSING

BE IT MAY

WHATEVER 

LONGING TO BE QUENCHED

UNTIL A STOMACH

BECOMING A VASE

INCLINED TO CRACK

AT ONCE ERUPTS 

A COLOURFUL PARASITE 

ASCENDS IN ILLUMINATION OF

THE SLEEPING SKY

THE END

THE FISH IN THE POND

FEROCIOUS

AND HARMLESS

PURE OF HEART

IS PUNISHED BY ITS OWN 

OBLIVION

BUT PLEADING 

IT SHALL NOT

FOR EVEN IF 

IT SHOULD BLEED

NOT AS A BEGGAR

IT WOULD HAVE BLED

ALIVE ALBEIT AN ASSASINATION

A SCENTLESS FLOWER 

MAKES NO SENSE

FOR IT

A TIME OF DEATH UPON

THE FLOWER ROTS 

INSIDE ITSELF

DUBIOUS COMPROMISES OF PITIFUL WORTHINESS

THE MAGNOLIA SUFFERS MORE THAN YOU

OR LESS THAN YOU

THAT NEEDS NOT MATTER

FOR 

SUFFERING IS NOT A COMPETITION

PERHAPS IT JUST 

SUFFERS

MORE THAN YOU COULD 

EVER IMAGINE

IT PRAYS FOR

AND THAT

IN ANOTHER LIFE

SHOULD ANOTHER LIFE BE WARRANTED

ITS LIFE MAY BE PERFECT 

AT LAST

PERHAPS THEN IT WILL KNOW 

IT NEVER EXISTED AT ALL