Though some of you might disagree, the following is not a self-portrait; it was inspired by a Catherine Ryan Hyde novel. I was only recently made aware of Ms. Hyde, and two of three books of hers I’ve read are, in my opinion, outstanding. If you like to read, get a copy of Funerals For Horses and When You Were Older. Awesome writing and fantastic reading!
Pure Madness
I worry about the ones
Who say everything is okay
While standing on a bridge
They think won’t burn
Madness is pure 
And since there’s no going back
You can only move deeper into it
Traveling into a tunnel of darkness
Learning from the silence
And wondering when you speak
If words came out
Or you only thought them
By the looks on faces around you
You know the answer
The words not only came forth
They were much too loud and angry
And then there are those times
When I think I read in my sleep
The same page
Over, and over, and over
Dropping the book
Then knowing the exact word I was on
Remembering things said and done
By characters formed from imagination
Madness… is a loss of innocence
A growing up… or spiraling down
Once it’s gone… your mind, that is
It’s not coming back
Copyright © 2013 C Mashburn
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Marbles In My Pocket ~ The Official Blog of Charles L. Mashburn ~ Poems, Short Stories, and random thoughts from the author of "Be Still... and know that I am God" 
Sherry Mashburn said
scary!! I love that first stanza . . .it really epitomizes those who bury their heads in the sand.
charlesmashburn said
I wasn’t even looking for the “bury their heads in the sand” effect. Strange that’s what you see in it. You’ll have to explain that to me!