I see and hear and smell them all,
And know that I am one of them.
They won't leave and neither can I.
There is no avoiding them or their pain.
I try to run, to hide in my dark corner,
But they always come for me and find me.
Their demands are constant and judging,
And I know no escape from them all.
They always want something, everything.
If I don't relent and give all that I am,
They will come and I will no longer be me.
Wherever I am or wherever I go, they are there.
They talk of their gods, and their laws.
They create fear in you if you don't listen.
I worry about the next dollar, the next knock.
Where will I be the next moment, the next day..
I feel my breath and my heart.
They race with anticipation of failure.
Can I supply them, but never-ending,
Every waking moment and every dream.
What will they all think if there is no tomorrow.
Will they come, will they be there.
For I know with every tick of my clock,
There is another fight, another flight
Life and death, all but an illusion.
Every second, they are all around, all within.
And I see my myopic life and know,
There is no way out.
Damien Daville
April, 2004
© Vampire Church