The War

Good. Evil.

Angels. Demons.

Love. Hate.

A war is waging. Unseen, unheard, unacknowledged. The war is everywhere whether people admit it or not. It surrounds us. We feel it breeze past us, whispering rage in our ear. We taste it on our breath, leaving the tinge of misgivings and malcontent. It covers everything, lingering on our fingertips with unforgiven sins.

This is my blessing. This is my curse. My eyes are open, I see the war. It's breath is hot upon my neck, the stench is in my mouth, the blood is on my hands. I see it and I am powerless. I find myself caught in the flow, choking on the anger, drowning in the darkness.

If the world knew the depth of this battle, men would howl in terror. Women would fall to the ground in the onslaught. Children would flee, only to be crushed by the tide. For this titanic struggle lies not just on the surface, but within each and everyone of us.

Pause, take a deep breath, clear your mind. You can feel it inside you, coiled in the parts of you that you pretend aren't there. The demons know you better than you know yourself. They open the door for evil, breed the hate in your soul, corrupt you until you are their vessel. They are faster, stronger, and smarter than you. They have been victors since time began.

So what do you do. How do you fight an unholy terror with no weakness. Starve it out, by closing off your dark corners from the world? No, demons have the patience of the monks. They will grow gaunt with hunger, waiting for the moment your defenses weaken and they will feast. Burn them out, with righteous thoughts and actions? No, for they have withstood the fires of hell since man walked the earth. When our good deeds falter, there they will be, creeping back into the hidden crevices of our soul.

We must accept them. Acknowledge them. Use them. We must channel the demons into our work. Use them as a muse for our art. For though they can be our downfall, they are the key to the most raw part of our essence. This war is real. This war is deadly. The only way to win is to lose. Surrender to gain control. Dive in to the depths to breathe. For the only way to be free of your demons, is to welcome them.