Dark Tide Rising Poem by R B Seals

It began with a whisper; its
presence at first ethereal, then a
gentle touch caressing his face—
quietly invading each aging pore,
each seasoned sinew and cell that
crafted and mapped the creased
lines that provided structure and
character to face and form.

Dreams departed, signs of sadness
sketched by shadow weigh visible,
marked decisively upon his face.
The emotional loss—overwhelming,
indelible—draws him steadily down;
a method obtuse, callus, debilitating—
insidious, eroding failing spirit, will,
and soul of substance and function
as heaven and happiness turn away;
leaving vulnerable a psyche diminished
by doubt, disillusion, disappointment.

Flesh longing, he searches, wanting
something to overcome the wretched
emptiness that burns incessantly within.
Eyes fixed, seeking beyond air and sky,
are vacant like farmers' fields in winter:
barren, non-productive, stripped deftly
of their precious, life-giving goodness.
Indeed, emotions depleted, leaving only
scant remains of sentiments sacred—
hopes dashed, wishes frozen in biting,
numbing cold of memories long past.

Withdrawn, languished by the fear,
the often terrible, frequent loneliness—
he succumbs to the burden of isolation
and despair that now overcomes him—
all the while praying for that something
or someone to help regain and sustain
some reason for existence.A life vital;
a chance to love one last time—while
waiting the haunting prospect of death.