one thousand smiles

an opaque slime trickles down over rueful eyes
ominous reaction to the explosion taking place inside
visions of flying hatred-ravens set alight this pain
swooping down to tear asunder weakened remnants drained
their screeches fill mind-sky with tense anguish aglow
thunderous pessimism beckons from where the dead ones flow
concepts like corpses reanimated rise to douse the sun
horror blooms wider with each beat of their drum
guiding light treacherously turns and evades my grasp
shut me in an empty box, locking each and every clasp
be there no escape, no way to cut through these walls?
forever enslaved by sorrow's echo through my mental halls?
despite this sudden storm, i will find a way
to resurrect the smiles they so viciously claimed
dig a hole through the ground to reach the shine outside
leave the demented shadow and its claws behind
we will rise to break away and find a newfound path
eradicate every specter and their relentless wrath
this plague means to choke each and every hopeful thought,
but one thousand smiles strong,
i simply cannot be stopped