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.