I have a terrible pain

in the pit of my stomach—again.

It always comes when I try

to realize the truth. Or maybe,

it's because I feel the truth,

a truth I cannot deny.

A dark matter surrounds us all;

it has infected us; it cannot be washed off,

no matter how hard we try.

We breathe it in daily.

We sleep with it by night.

It greets us in the morning with a crooked smile,

like a nagging wife that means only to break us.

It wants us to be quiet, and remain

in the shadow of its protective arms.

"Pledge allegiance to the flag,

whatever flag they tell you."

This was just one of many songs

that were sung to warn us

but we changed the channel and cranked it up—

oh so comforting.

Monsters have come to sleigh our children!

Or were they already here?

Were they walking among us,

from the time of Our birth?...