[center][u][b]Lords of Darkness[/b][/u]

Thump, thump, thump.
Listen close to the
Crimson drum that
Beats within,
It starts quiet
Like inquisitive taps
Against the fabric of
Our beautifully terrible
Minds— Questioning;

When does light dim
Or darkness begin,
Is it Paradise Lost
As feminine teeth
Break the succulent skin of
The forbidden fruit,
Or rather the innocence
Broken as young boys
Trapped on an island
Make their first kill—

It’s just a pig, right?
But soon the blood 
Trickles over inexperienced
Hands that harden;
Become cold
And cast shadows
That the boys of the
Beach cower before
Huddling by warm
Campfire, wondering
What it is?

The mulberry
Marked child calls it
Simply, the beast.
Some say it came
From the sea
Some say it came
From the air
Ralph says it doesn’t
Exist but only Simon
Can see our truth—

A creeping beast
That is truly 
Manifested by
Man’s essential
Illness, us; central
To the dark jungle
That always surrounds
Yet never seems visible
Until the shadow creeps
Around, lurking,
Only fed by human fear
Until the heart of darkness
On the horizon consumes
Our light, snuffed out
Like candle flame
And the savage becomes
With but simple words:

The horror,
The horror[/center]