I made this rather long winded comment on the forum thread, but begged Darren to resubmit the poem so i could place it here.

A vast diversity of men intertwine in such opposition as to cause more harm than good such that the 36 righteous men of myth are all that hold civilization together.

He loses vitality getting lost in wonderment through sterile contemplation; evil continues unabated regardless of his good intentions. Admitting he is helpless in the face of such endless malevolence he prostrates himself to a higher power. The Rock of Ages seems to give direction, but no abatement of the torment. The complexity of harmful interaction itself defies a final solution.

He reflects on the belief that Goodness of Life streams from the primeval forest. Yet, the gates of Eden are a blockade keeping man from regaining innocence; the expulsion from the garden is irreversible.

Likewise, false prophets who propose endless promises of salvation while living in luxury prove humankind unworthy, while the history of constant mortal conflict leaves us forever grubbing.

The Tower of Babble, man's audacity, is broken, so that men are cast further into confusion by not Hearing each other. Yet established religions take this Deafness to Reason as normal and exclude he who seeks sanity.

Finally, he comes to understand his inner Truth and decries the inescapable dichotomy of existence. He questions whether even the worthy 36 can abide with such madness, but must live apart. In the end he is reduced to profound tears of despair, for you cannot unknow the Truth. He is left with nihilism.

This is one long poem and to be honest I try to stay away from but you have captivated me from the first line so I am here to say ~enjoyed the read~ Thx!

Very well written poem, I wished I could read the version before the edit so I can compare but really, this is a great piece and very well put together.

Keep 'em coming!