When one turns their back on the suffering of the world,
they are no longer sorry
Sunrays break in the crevices of the dark hole in which grief has buried them

Darkness is an old friend of theirs and they find comfort in not having to use their eyes
Just like the swollen blisters of the heart which keeps one in comfortable sorrow

The erasure of shame and the dirty work of healing is a prayer
They pray for discomfort
They pray to feel a cold sweat trembling down their spine
And to have feelings again

The cave keeps one safe
When one tells themself that they belong in this cave,
they cannot be perceived by the world’s creatures

They cannot be scratched or bitten
At least if they are the one to hurt themselves, control still lies within hand
And when one labels themselves as a victim, it allows them to pursue life unseen and perfectly irresponsible

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel
And they realize that they were never a victim of the world’s suffering
They crawl
They beg
They pray for discomfort
To see the world hanging upside down as the bats fidget and swoop
out of the darkness into the light

This cave no longer serves them
Their sorrows will kill them
Their soul longs for a greater meaning than the dark,
damp walls that this crumbling home has provided

Creeping on their hands and knees, they bring the light closer
The moistened air becomes cold and the light becomes blinding
Their tears are sparks of what overstimulating joy could be

Coming out of their cave dragging their feet behind them
They see the world for the first time and the great expanse before them
The illusion that the cave was the only part of this universe flees away in dismay

How could they have stayed in the darkness for so long?
The world is too big for their eyes and their heart
It’s cold and dangerous with people who speak a different tongue
But passion burns through each and every single one of their souls
The cave dweller makes a decision
This discomfort will save them
Transitions the coldness of their heart to the goosebumps of their skin
With the blinding sun rays that caress their cold little body,
they are alive and perfectly stunned