As the dark of night closes in,
It brings to attention the pain within.
And as it grows late and sight is made blind,
Nothing but thoughts of pain fill the mind.

The pain of REGRET, cold with self-hate,
The pain of REALIZING you acted too late.
The pain of DESPAIR, sadness to the bone,
Weighing on the mind and the heart like a stone.

The pain of FAILURE, having let yourself down,
The pain of WATCHING, the casket pulled into the ground.
The pain of KNOWING, unable to bring yourself to act,
Reduced to only being aware of the cold, grisly fact.

The pain of ANXIETY, dreading the gun's blast,
The pain of the RUSH, for you have to act fast.
The pain of TENSION, the bomb waiting to blow,
A violent explosion caused by a break in the flow.

The pain of LONELINESS, being shackled in the dark,
A need to have someone but no way to speak.
Unable to move, left only to yearn and to think,
A longing to relax, instead being wound to the brink.

The pain of the FEAR, questioning what is ahead,
Both craving and dreading tomorrow as I lie here in bed.
We all pray for the best, but we know well get the worst.
And we know we can't change it, no matter how much it hurts.

The pain of TODAY, once again living the lie,
Kept from the ones who know what's truly inside.
We must take care who we trust or be stabbed in the back,
And ensure that our "friends" aren't donning smiling masks.

The pain of LOSS, desiring what is no more,
The pain of CONFLICT, a tearing self war.
The pain of the END, not an escape but a sleep,
As they say goodbye and leave him to reap.