Temptations In the Dark

by Brittany Klein   Oct 13, 2011


10-3-11

Again I shut the door
And lock it right behind
Steering clear from the outside world
Where everyone is so blind.

Not wanting to re-start
What I ended from my past
But the temptation was calling
Grab the blade, dispose of the pain at last.

So I do what it says
And head to my secret hiding place
Shutting off the lights
So I couldn't see my face.

I grab the object
That left so many scars before
I start slicing my skin
Occasionally glancing at the door.

I don't blame them for not caring
Or to bother saving me
I put them through hell
So now their pain I will relieve.

I couldn't help but notice
The smirk that was rising in the dark
It loved to see me suffer
It was just waiting for a smart remark.

Darkness had won yet again
Another hard time in my life
Just hiding behind any available space
Waiting for me to pull out my knife.

I can't seem to get a grip
On this long, drug out ride
Good and evil on the same shoulder
Have a tendency to collide.

They sit there and talk
Argue more-or-less
About if it's time for me to go
And become face to face with death.

I want to let them know
That I want to die
But they give me an evil grin
And ask me why.

With a puzzled look
Plastered on my face
I simply reply
"I'm done running this race."

Good and evil look at each other
Who knew they could be on the same side
I guess this situation is different
I never thought they would coincide.

The darkness was waiting
For them to respond
He wanted them to take his side
He wanted them to correspond.

Death was calling me
I could hear his profound voice
I would have been dead long ago
If it was to be his choice.

But good and evil
Had a very thought out plan
The answer was always there
Before my cutting began.

They wanted me to think
If there was a true reason to leave
They couldn't just tell me
They wanted me to believe.

So I looked at all the times
When I had happiness in my life
And come to find out
Happiness was very rife.

I have made others happy
Just by being me
And I was about to become selfish
And leave my family and friends so helplessly.

With one last look at the door
To check if anyone really cared
I got taken by surprise
When I saw my friends and family right there.

The worried look on their face
Told me everything I needed to know
My past had tried to catch up with me again
But this time I firmly yelled "NO!"

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Latest Comments

  • 11 years ago

    by Poet on the Piano

    I agree that this was a powerful poem and I did not mind the length at all. Every stanza expressed your struggle, how you felt like your life had no meaning to realizing that people care. But that does take time. I think it is only human for us all to go through dark periods in our life.

    The rhyming felt natural, and I give you props for not making it cliche or meaningless. My first big suggestion is to watch your present vs. past tense. In the beginning, you are showing the reader the moment where you are in the bathroom. But the near the end, it changed to past tense. Choose one and stick with it. I think it's okay to shift into another in the middle of a piece or if you are sharing thoughts, but not for an action or "in the moment" part.

    Here are a few spots I do have suggestions on though:

    "When I had happiness in my life
    And come to find out
    Happiness was very rife."

    - This was the only rhyming bit I was unsure about. I stumbled over "rife" mostly because I don't hear it used often and it seemed out of place with your other simplistic wording. Here, I felt like the word was a bit forced but I do understand it means widespread.

    There were a few paragraphs, especially in the last lines of certain stanzas, where I felt the flow was broken. Mostly I felt like you added too many words, so it just felt crammed to the reader like here:

    "Grab the blade, dispose of the pain at last."

    - I know this is in the beginning stanzas but I felt like you had a good start, good rhythm with four lines and the rhyme scheme you had. You can keep that constant but here, you overcrowd a line. Maybe re-word so you're still using "last" but in a more brief manner?

    I suggest looking over your poem again just for places where the flow isn't consistent. I also noticed how more toward the middle of your poem your stanzas became shorter. That's fine, but make sure then that one line doesn't drag on over the other.

    Interesting take with the good and evil. I liked reading that, it gave the poem more character and gave a new aspect of good and evil working together to show you that life is waiting for you.

    Take care. It takes courage to tell your story and this was definitely a moving poem. That is wonderful you have decided to quit the self-harm and I know it must be a struggle throughout the years to say no, but know you are not alone.

    Keep writing!

  • 13 years ago

    by Lioness

    Hey!

    I loved this poem. So many emotions. You have shown us your vulnerability and then at the end shown us how powerful you are. From one end to another. I was captivated

    Well written

    x

  • 13 years ago

    by Matthew Schut

    Wow, this is so powerful and I can relate oh too well! :) An awesome piece and the ending was perfect! :)

  • 13 years ago

    by otakutechie

    Great poem, really paints the picture of what happens behind closed doors (the sad truth).... takes me back when i lived in South Dakota and had a few friends that did this..... as well as several classmates..... its was sad.... such a repressed town/state...

    5/5 keep up the good work
    "stop the cutting"

  • 13 years ago

    by E Dacaf

    It was very long. Now that I said that, I feel the length forces you to aknowledge that this has been going on for a while. So when in the end the character stops the self abuse it makes it that much dramatic-and POWERFUL.