Dark Room

 Dark Room January 9th Koshur Qalam - کآشُر قلم challenge prompt poem by Dr Koshy AV

In the dark room of the

mind - the throne of thoughts

or heart -the seat of feelings and emotions

dwell dark, unspeakable things

In the dark room of the soul

or spirit

these dark ideas and moving images

or words, thoughts and emotions

of evil lusts, desires and their roots

lurk

tempting by taking on fair disguises

to make you fall into

the abyss

that has no floor

Only innocent doves

shrewd snakes

can bypass these doors of temptation

that when you cross them

contain bystanders

who call out to you their wares

and even try to guess your inner name

to make out they have supernatural powers

These are the dark-room dwellers, outside

When you are in the dark-room

or meet the ones who try to lure you in

you come to the awareness

that some have emerged

into the light

from Plato's cave

Either they never acquiesced

to the dark room's enticements

from when they were children

like Samuel or Mary

or when grown-up

realized

the dark-room has/is a trapdoor that opens under your feet suddenly

to the abyss

and it lost its fascination for them

who were till then playing with it

as if it is a toy

when it is a suicidal, slow slope

and so they left

taking along with them

any ready to come

to swell the ranks of the ones

who no longer want to be deluded and plagued

by the dark room's meaningless allurements

and charm.