On Faith.

On Faith.
____________

When the Old Die..
their lives are celebrated
with fondness by those
left behind..and while sad,
many rejoice in the comfort
that they lived to see ripe
age, and fill the pallet of their
Being with so many diverse
Experiences.

When The Young Die..it is
A Tragedy,..and no fond
words, or cliches' about
Meaning and Purpose can
fill the void their Absence
has left.

The Idea that "Everything
Happens for a Reason"
seems Unreasonable to
a Relative who has lost
someone so young, and
innocent. They often find
themselves cursing God,
and wondering how any
Loving Creator could
allow such Horror to touch
their Lives, while on a daily
basis countless social monsters
and predators of all varieties
seem to live long and prosper.

I wish I could say beyond
doubt that there is a Purpose,
and Design to it all...something
Profound that upon our own
Death will make the pieces
fall into place, and give meaning
to the chaos...but it would be
morally and intellectually
dishonest if I were to do so.

I can only say that by my own
observations, FAITH and HOPE
seem to be powerful tools that
help many in their Despair.

Many of genuine Faith I have
seen seem to be more content,
and at peace with the Horrors
of this Mysterious World..and
are able to sit back in the midst of
despair, Holding on to The Things
that they Find Sacred and Meaningful,
without falling victim to the raging
Tides of Doubt which pull so many
Souls down into that Bleakness known
when they Experience a loved
Ones Death.

To me (regardless if their beliefs
are eventually proven to be true
or false) The Merits of such faith
is evident in the Quality of Life
these Courageous Souls Live...
when they can still find it within
themselves to laugh, and crack
a smile at someones joke...or
lend their ear to another who is
in a similar state of suffering.

It is a Powerful Thing that No
amount of well intended words,
or quoted scriptures can compare
to...and (if God Truly Exists)
one of The Highest Expressions
of Divinity one could hope to
find upon this Earth.

Where does your Faith Lie?
and Does it help you along in
your path?...Or cause you to
look disdainfully upon your
Fellow Man who walks a
different Road?

(the answer to your Self may
surprise you.)

J.Stephen.H.

On Morbidity In Literature.

On Morbidity in Literature.
____________________________

I cannot count the number
of times that readers of my
work have said "I like that,
it's really good..but dark,
and kinda morbid."

This is admittedly true. It's
something obvious to anyone
who has read a piece of mine,
that my poems and verses tend to
revolve around darker themes
of Horror and Madness,..
but many carry misconceptions
about my intent when writing
such pieces.

To paraphrase (and add to)
the words of Keith Ablow:
"The Brightest Light shines
upon those brave enough to
open their eyes up to the
darkness, and honestly reflect
the Shadows which lurk
within them."

For me, writing about darkness
is not a matter of trying to be
morbid..or unleash Horrors
into the World...it is a form of
therapy which purges the
Shadows from my Mind,
and Makes the Horrors of
Life more manageable.

Some will listen to music, and
talk about their feelings with
others to help them with their
problems.

Me?...I write,..and turn the
Nature of Darkness and the
Boogeyman into an Art Form.

j.stephen.h.