Each Our Own

Have you ever heard the wind chimes,
with the shadows growing long?
Or shuddered at the chill
in this sad, remorseful song?

With recklessness, forgetfulness, relentlessness, & fear,
up creeps a tiny voice that cries & whispers in your ear.
All full of black suspicions; desperation, need, & pride;
as if rising out of boredom and the laziness inside.
The guilt you keep, the loneliness, disgust, offense, & pain;
fears of seeming inadequate—confusion, doubt, & shame.
The demons that come haunt you & arouse you in your sleep;
‘double, double toil & trouble’; they chant out from the deep.
Yet in your darkest hour, when your courage seems unknown,
the smoke may clear, no demons here;
in the end, we’re Each Our Own.

*Fox & Thistle Studio passionately invites minstrels and musicians to weave our verses into melodies of their own — and to share the song with us if you do.

All poems by Richard W. Saunders, presented by Fox & Thistle Studio.

*The phrase ‘Each Our Own’ is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s quote, “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.” from his play The Duchess of Padua

**The image combines personified typography scripts dating back to the 18th century. The zodiac was taken from the original publication of Poor Richard’s Almanack by Ben Franklin.