Cry Sorrow, Sorrow, Yet Let Good Prevail (Poem)

I do not fear the monsters of this world.

I have long familiarity with these.

Depression, anxiety, and their coterie

Have almost been my family.

I dwell in comfort with such dark beasts.

What has the ability to undo me entirely are the beings of light:

Kindness, consideration, and their kin.

The afflictive malfeasants offer predictable torment

That at times seems almost a shelter.

I can hide with them from myself and the world.

Venturing into lambency that flickers with uncertainty

I find an often frightening task.

To see others is one thing;

To be seen in turn unsettles me in the extreme.

Still I take up this challenge,

With the words of Aeschylus giving me strength.

And the company of monsters ever at hand.