The fire tastes sweet
To those who hunger
Simply for what they can't have:
It burns hotter when mixed
With the bitterest gall
of emptiness.

I cry in sympathy for the ones
Who dare to tempt the tide --
Knowing that only darkness
awaits them.
I long to be there beside them,
Even though I know I can't,
Because there's not enough time.

Could someone in direst need
Open the door
from the other side
And usher these poor souls in?
The comfort I offer is meager
at best
But I hope it fills the holes.

Hold out your hand trustingly
In the blackness ahead
And know that the dark shapes
Retain no power over the light --
Until the lamb comes home
at the appointed hour.

When impish devils laugh . . .
Masquerading as angels . . .
Fooling some with trickery --
And blinding others with greed.

They come enmasse . . .
Before the church can slam
its doors
One final time against
the unwary parishioners
Who strive to come in. . . .

But the Archdiocese remain
unmoved,
Even though these are
the very ones
The church was built for . . .
The people they were meant
to save!

Hordes of hollow demons
Circle the doomed sinners . . .
Laughing at their fate,
Imploring them to run,
Knowing there's no place
for them to go!

The only refuge left is hell. . . .
Yet no one wants to go.
They stand still as statues
Staring at the blazing sun
Of iniquity & eternal blame. . . .

Until a little child closes his eyes
And refuses to accept
the bleakness
That lay in store for him.
He KNEW he was innocent:

The silver chain with the sun
That no one else either could,
Or had claimed, was flaming!
Its light was remarkably pure.
He held it close to his heart.

He approached the nearest
miscreant:
One who was bent on torturing
Some poor soul for his
vast amusement
With a twinkle of derision
in his soulless, black eyes.

The diminutive boy thought that
This jocularity was
totally absurd!
As he silently approached
the reprobate;
Everyone around him
was astounded
At his bold audacity!

"Excuse me Sir," he whispered.
The libertine gasped
in bewilderment,
Surprised at the effrontery
Of the repulsive wretch.

Before the ogre could grab him,
He thrust the necklace
Into its abhorrent visage,
And the monster erupted
Into icy hot flames
of silvery, molten ash!

All the other devils disappeared
Under the onslaught
of inscrutable flames!
No one noticed that
The valiant child had exited
the aforementioned scene.

The Archdiocese was amazed
When the boy reopened
the church doors,
Walked boldly inside
(As if he owned it),
Then commenced brazenly
To slam the door severely
In the Priest's credulous face!

Laughing to himself
At the end of a glorious day,
Devin (for that was his name),
Kicked off his shoes,
Surreptitiously drank
the blood of the lamb,
Then fell asleep cozily
by the raging fire.

3-4-23.




© Kris Bailey