Did you ever hurt?

Or feel deep inner pain?

Bottled up with a million tears,

Tears that cannot cry—

Yet weeping silently in the dark,

To afraid to sleep;

Or turn the lights…

On because of a deep inner fear,

That something or someone…

Is watching you in the darkness,

Of the lonely cell.

Cells that ostracize you…

From the outer world…

Filled with lonely dreams,

That never materializes.

Have you ever existed in a world,

Full with sadness and loneliness…

With nightmares that hounds –

Your soul.

Have you ever reached out?

And grabbed nothing but cold air??

That freezes your very finger tips?

Have you ever reached for death,

But was afraid to die…

In the bitter loneliness of the night;

Where your thoughts were many –

Confusing ideas that drifted –

In the hollowness of the universe…

Where stars shine and the moon –

Illuminates the darkness.

Have you ever suffered…

The torment s of man made hell?

Have you ever longed to “Love”,

And be loved, but, all you received –

Was broken dreams…

That separates loneliness and heartaches …

To extremes that has shattered

Your world…

And blinded your path. 

Have you ever lived from day to day?

In disgrace? Because someone,

Convinced you that you were—

Nothing more than an element??

Under someone else’s control? .

Have you ever been “condemned?”

By society or labeled an inmate?

With no soul? For hundreds of years.

These are my songs,

These are my thoughts.

This is my world.

A world that some to an end,

Before it began with “hard times,”

Bad luck and misfortunes.

Have you ever existed in a “cage?”

Weeping silently because you…

Were “innocent, without sin?”

Suffering years of injustice,

Watching other souls bleed;

Dying without a breath of life.

Have you ever reached for a friend?

Who wouldn’t betray you?

For 30 pieces of silver?

That is stained with blood,

Sweat and tears…

Dripping for countless years.

Have you ever been defeated,

By those you “trusted”…

Stabbed in the back,

By your brother or sister…

Robbed out of your kindness ,

Sold into poverty and sin…

Stripped out of your honor and glory;

Forsaken by those “pretending to be…”

God’s chosen children of righteousness,

Is there anyone who can hear my cry?”…

Is there anyone who can feel my pain?

I used to think that this side of hell,

Was nothing but a bad dream…

Until I discovered that I wasn’t sleeping. 

I as dying over and over again,

Crushed by “prison bars”…

This is my soul…

LISTEN TO MY SOUL.

Dr. Richard Sunday Ifill