Clarity

By Cliff Lake

 

Clarity

 

The silent screaming darkness,

Tunnel in, tunnel in.

A release of the harness,

The welcome spiraling.

Clear-eyed and hungering,

Shake off the cloying calm.

Insensible encumbering,

Release reason’s embalm.

 

The hesitation

When you speak my name.

I am no sensation,

I seek the madness that you claim.

What is this trepidation,

I strain against contain -

If I somehow don’t go crazy

I will go insane.

 

The numbing shouting input,

The silence of their eyes.

The closeted output,

The piercing in disguise.

The poison in the comfort,

The meaning in their ends,

The scrabbling for more dirt,

The nightmares one defends.

 

The hesitation

When you speak my name.

I am no sensation,

I seek the madness that you claim.

What is this trepidation,

I strain against contain -

If I somehow don’t go crazy

I will go insane.

 

Echoes in the new dawn,

Remnants of the night.

Demons of a new spawn,

Ever in the sight.

Flames that always burn too cold,

Fired from within,

The tale repeated all too old,

Now we can begin.

 

The hesitation

When you speak my name.

I am no sensation,

I seek the madness that you claim.

What is this trepidation,

I strain against contain -

If I somehow don’t go crazy

I will go insane.

 

Cliff Lake 5/27/2026

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2026

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hope in the Dark

By Cliff Lake
  Hope in the Dark   It is not enough to speak of hope, Impalpable and distant often… Hope is initiated by action, Be it small, Be it unglamorous. Hope is transfused through devotion, Through adherence to a just cause, Through empathy and a kind smile. One must apply that hope: One must be that hope. Ruthless resolve is called for, And a dedication to decency. Hope may cut through bleak times, Hope may suffer through the gloom, Hope is the knowledge that the dark Always gives way to day, That the night is punctuated by the stars, And that the moon returns to her fullness always, And the patient one will see her again. Hope is not blind obedience to fantasy, But is the flower lit by a single ray of truth, A fact piercing the fog of desperation, A handhold at the precipice unlooked for, Yet present all the while, One only need widen the gaze, To see that the clouds end at the horizon, And know that all storms pass in time. ...
Read more

Midworld

By Cliff Lake
  Midworld   In the heavens above the silent stars sway, But are brushed aside to make way for day. In the heavens above the silent stars play, And here we are earthbound, for now we will stay.   On the underground below, the whole earth does weigh, Some say that death is its only gateway, In the underground below, does evil hold sway? Perhaps we will find out and meet there one day.   Midworld we live on, But understand not, Though we try, Oh, how we try. Midworld we live on, Other realms are not given, Though we may not fathom why.   Is the dreamworld a real world, is sleep a walkway? Or is it illusion, does it secrets betray? Are daydreams false visions, no fruition dismay, Are memories old worlds that slowly decay?   Should we hang on in this world, our death to delay? Is time the great reaper, and are we its prey? When we finally pass on, are we led away? Do we find new existence, ascend some stai...
Read more

AI Man

By Cliff Lake
  AI Man   The AI man followed me shopping When I went out to buy some bread. I asked him what his name was, “Ubiquitous”, was what he said. The AI man followed me home, Followed right into bed. I asked him what he was doing, “Have a nice day.” was what he said. The AI man was there in the morning, When I first lifted my head. I asked where he came from, “Have you bought product?” was what he said. The AI man was at the restaurant, I asked if he wished to be fed. He looked past the wait staff, “Try the roast beef.” was what he said. The AI man trailed me to the ATM, But I went inside instead. I was making a small deposit, “Try the fried crypto.” he said. The AI man was the polling place, He had arrived ahead. He told me not to bother, “I made your choice for you.” he said. The AI man follows me everywhere now, No matter how far I’ve fled. Why is he into everything now? “Do not look behind the curtain.” he’s said. ...
Read more