Hidden In The Light

There are shadows in dark places,

And monsters in the light.

I fear the things that hide amongst the dreamers,

Not the night.

Their wicked teeth are blunted,

Their claws are filed short.

Yet they play with us like pieces

In a game of heinous sport.

Their tactics are unbeaten,

Their camouflage precise-

When you expect the the burn of fire,

All you feel is ice.

I have come to learn of freedom

as a thing you bargain for.

While these demons in their shining shoes

Just keep on taking more.

I’ve learnt to count the chips I catch

As they spill across the floor;

Scrambling on my hands and knees

Until my skin and pride rub raw.

They sit and laugh and watch us

As we cower in our places

And scoop up all their winnings

With their pockets full of aces.

I wonder what their homes are like,

Their pillows stuffed with bills;

Paid for with our daily dose

Of serotonin pills.

If I had the power in me

I’d set them all a task,

To wait until the curtain call

And to look beyond the mask.

They would see our feet are moving

To a rhythm we don't quite know

And at the end we’d bow again

And pray they liked the show.

If they looked a little closer though,

They would see our painted faces

And recognise the pain that's there

Amounts to more than traces.

I’d wonder if they’d watch it still

As we struggled through the dance,

Or would they entertain themselves

With a different circumstance.