The flamelight of my hope and reality
burns within the darkness of psychosis.
Light within dark overcomes –
No matter how small the flame.
Whenever I fall asleep, darkness
slithers itself in bed alongside me
with gazing eyes and a whispery voice.
And there is a lantern within – one I hold
to this darkness that my hallucinating
eyes cannot penetrate alone.
My eyes are lamplit to the dream,
for the flame within ensouls me.
The light of my lantern pulsates,
possessing a fiery heartbeat,
pushing back the lifeless, hollow darkness.
In absence of any breath of reality,
the flame within flickers yet burns on.
My lantern now my lighthouse – warning
the darkness to stay back as I’m still alive.
Darkness is so thick, impenetrable,
but hollow in reality and meaning.
This lanternlight embodies my spirit…
Antipsychotic medication is the kindling,
for my life feasts on the receding darkness.
The flame of my lantern has been pinched
by the ice-cold fingers of psychosis.
We all need darkness to recognize
the soul-flame within our hearts.
My soul is a lantern in the darkness,
the flamelight my unbodied soul.
The flame of my soul pulsates
and the shadows of psychosis retreat.
My unbodied soul is the
lanternlight in the darkness.
Within the light of my soul,
night retreats yet remains obscured.
Eyes within this shrinking darkness
gazes on in dreamy hallucinations.
We all have a lantern burning within
an unbodied soul, whose flamelight
chases the darkness which
otherwise consumes us.
My lips are the key to my soul
and I must keep this lantern locked,
lest even a breath puts out my flame.
The wick now cold and black,
no flame of any soul is immortal.







mmmn, your words really made me think – about the light … and the dark, so atmospheric!
hello Daniel as you know I struggle too with psychosis and there have been times I thought the voices sullied my soul and then realized my soul resides inside the great spirit within this mortal tomb and nothing can reach me there your poem is very beautiful and powerful ❤️
As always Brenda, thank you. It’s a lifelong struggle but we will persevere!