Good vs. Evil

"Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul-

And sings the tune without words

And never stops - at all."   —Emily Dickinson

This week in my town, unfortunately like too many other towns across the globe, we had a teen suicide.

||According to Teen Suicide Statistics website:
One of the leading causes of death amongst teenagers is suicide. The Centers for Disease control report that it is the third leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicide, of people aged 15 to 24. Even more disturbing is the fact that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14.||


This event is always tragic but for some reason this one made me wonder what drove them to that point. This kid by all appearances was fairly happy and well adjusted. So what pushes a kid that far? No one will ever know but it also made me think about an author I loved reading, Frank Peretti. Many of his books (This Present Darkness, Piercing The Darkness, Prophet, the Visitation and The Oath) were on the conflict between good and evil, and in the end good prevails.......I like that....thinking that the white hat wins. I wrote a poem (which is amazingly scary to share) demonstrating the triumph of good. I realize that this totally over-simplifies the inner struggle and pain which is obviously being dealt with by that person, but my biggest wish is that teenagers have enough hope, —or strength to search for the source of hope— to perhaps overcome their inner demons.


Anew

Sitting in the sand, knees pulled to my chest, staring at the waves
watching as unrelentlessly, the water pounds the shore
Looking out to sea, feeling as empty as the distant horizon.
The moon laughs as it illuminates the blank canvas.

I stand as the bleak abyss beckons me come,
feeling the sand beneath my feet,
sharp shells piercing my flesh,
walking into the dark water
my body enveloped in the cold blackness
shivering, then going numb.

Letting my body succomb to the watery grave
Letting the demons consume me
Letting my mind be free of the torture.

Suddenly overcome with a blanket of warmth
an unseen force propelling toward the surface
A hand from the heavens throwing me hope like a life ring.

Spitting and sputtering, spewing out the rancid water
wishing to fill my lungs
A knowing smile crossing my lips,
realizing that what was meant to be my end and death
has instead baptized me into a beginning, a new life.
Giving me renewed strength to emerge a conqueror
Vanquishing the evil that sought to overwhelm me.

Feeling sorrow no more, only joy,
Pushing darkness away, seeing light.
Loosing the shackles, sprouting wings
Denying despondency, emitting confidence.

As the sun rises displacing the darkness,
The waves push me to shore,
Assisting in my rescue,
My feet steadying me as the sand shifts beneath me
I walk to the dry sand turning and facing the water once again.
This time seeing the sun as it shines upon a blank slate,
ready for me to start anew and begin again.