Like a leech,
the enemy attaches himself,
to the lost, the lonely,
and the forgotten.
A maggot,
slowly devouring souls;
eating away,
until naught remains.
Fueled by greed,
he sells his poison;
rotting bodies,
and distorting minds.
He is satisfied only
when hatred and anger spews,
followed by self-loathing,
and the twisting of minds.
His goal is simple;
separate and segregate,
from family and friends,
lovers and faith.
Like rabid dogs
he lures them in,
then abandons,
until they claw for more.
Their invisible need
pulling them toward him;
to numb the pain,
and help forget.
He takes joy in this,
the suffering, the need;
always searching for more,
another tortured soul to lure.
Yet, there is something
the enemy cannot control;
an everlasting ember that burns,
which cannot be extinguished.
It lives in all,
never fully doused;
a marker, freely given,
a light of salvation.
It is the light that saves,
heals, and restores;
returning the lost,
reuniting the separated.
Fanned by hope and love,
fueled by forgiveness and faith;
the flame strengthens,
increasing in its glory.
A light so bright
the enemy shrinks,
receding to the shadows
once more to lurk.
Ever waiting and watching
for an opening;
to steal away the innocent,
and ruin the souls of men.
The battle rages on
across the ages;
dark obscuring light,
light vanquishing dark.
The enemy continues,
trying to weave complicated webs;
never understanding the truth,
defeat will always be his.
The light will always dispel the dark,
the lost and broken will be healed;
the sinners, who seek it, will be forgiven,
because He who loves us gave His all.
So, if you find yourself trapped,
or separated from one you love,
do not lose faith in your sorrow,
for hope lives where the light shines.
It is a promise and a gift,
a sacrifice and a blessing;
given to all long ago,
by the one who loves us most.
Reach for the internal ember,
fan the everlasting flame;
set yourself free, unbind your chains
and shine as you were meant to.
© Leslie C Dobson
If you liked this poem, you can find additional ones on the poetry page of Leslie’s website.