NO DEFEATING THE DARKNESS

Despite what them
that want to sell you somethin' say,

there is no defeating the darkness,
no negotiation process
or making it behave:

there's only the life-long struggle
to keep The Beast at bay.

If you were born with it,
attached to you like some
mutant, in-bred twin-brother
(always urging you to do
questionable things),

or, somehow managed to catch it later on
like the unwanted attention
of a wrathful god
or a nasty cold
you just can't shake,

there aint but two choices
you can make--

nightly throw-downs in the ring,
or the alley or the backyard of your mind...

sitting under a tree in the dark,
a bottle of Mexican brandy
between your knees,
fireflies floating in summertime
liquid slow-motion
around your head

or whatever medicine
or magic it takes
to bring you peace,

or...

it fucking kills you

dead.


Jason Ryberg, 2010