Prisoner of the Cave

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Vast world, it is cold

Blurred marriage of good and evil

But the chains are comfortable,

And the cave floor—it is cold.


Sunlight holds the truth,

Chants the slender one, yonder

But isn't firelight illuminating us,

The shadows reflect the truth.


Slender one rattled his chain,

Night after night,

Relentlessly and restlessly

One night, as dawn's gaze

Painted streaks in the cave

Slender man ran,

Truth could not wait.


There goes the madman,

But the rest of us knew better

The cave is cold,

And the firelight shows the truth.


We would never lose the chains

Anchoring us, grounding us

The outside world is just shadows,

Hysterical heretic ought to learn that soon.


Shiny light, pleasant and bright,

Child of morning, dawn arrived

Crazed child of the cave entered,

Blinded by the bright light.


Says he, there's so much more,

Don't let the shadows hold you

Says he, you're in the dark,

Don't let that comfort you.


For all he says,

The cave never held joy again,

Not for him, hostage of the shadows

The very same shadows,

I thank them now,

Thank them forevermore,

They shielded me from sunlight.

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