artwork copyright © Josephine Wall

Break the Dark Lens

Barb Caffrey

You there, in the corner!
Yes, you.
Break the dark lens!

"I don't understand," stammers the man in the corner.
"I don't see any 'dark lens,' and have no idea how to break it."

"There's a pall over your life," I say.
"Everything's shrouded in pain, misery and death.
"That dark lens must go."

"I still don't get it," the man says. A well-dressed woman comes up to reinforce him.
"This is life." He shrugs. "You want me to be hypocritical, not to talk about what I see every day?"

"No," I tell him.
"Don't be a hypocrite.
"Do break that dark lens."

"I am doing my best." The man sniffs, and takes the woman's arm.
"If you don't like it, that's your problem." He walks off, while she grins at me with canine teeth.

I call after him, "Sir, please!
"This is your last chance.
"Break that dark lens, before it breaks you!"
But there is no reply.

Then the dark lens transferred its attentions to me,
and I have never been free of it, since.
It continues to shadow me,
but I cannot break it alone.

"Can you help me?" I ask the next person as he rushes by.
"No time now, sorry," he says, not really seeing me.
And the next: "Not today, honey.
"Maybe tomorrow we can get rid of that nasty thing."

See, when they look me, they see the dark lens;
they see how damaging it is,
they see how destructive.
But they cannot see it in their own selves.

I believe
that we were put here in order to see this dark lens for what it is,
and get past it,
and break it for others -- hoping others will break it for us in turn.

'Ware of the dark lens in your life, as well as the lives of your loved ones!
Break the dark lenses whenever you can, before it's too late!