An Enervating Evil

When we broke the old seal on our lead coffin find,
(and we were archaeologists, all of one mind),
we discerned an unusual guttural moan;
thus I thought perhaps we should leave this find alone.

There appeared a blue light streaming out from a crack;
with pickax and lantern we were taken aback.
Then a thick bluish mist filled the floor of the cave--
it became quite a challenge for hearts to stay brave.

One by one we felt evil like spine numbing chill,
and it seemed to play havoc with my basic will.
Then the others like I who had passion for old
felt their will dissipate from the pilfering cold.

What remained in the coffin did not matter much,
(though remains mummified take a delicate touch).
We had let loose a force on the whole of the Earth;
at first we were concerned for whatever that’s worth.

As we loaded all artifacts into the truck,
I had such a strange thought that I was thunderstruck.
I had hardly a care if the find did survive,
and indeed apathy seemed intent to just thrive.

Back in London within the fine chimes of Big Ben,
I saw en masse the loss of the will of good men.
Transportation was stilled, industry became curled;
news of increasing shut downs appeared ‘round the world.

(It was still there--this factoid held deep in my brain;
  the blue evil we released was a planet bane.
  And though some part of me longed to rise up and swear,
  in truth I was too weak and lacked the will to care.)

Human instinct replaced will and started to surge;
planet wide men would murder when they felt the urge.
Many rivers of chaos were colored in red
by the evil we freed from the crypt of the dead.

Though diffuse it spread quickly, this evil of rot;
so content to hold hostage the root of man’s thought.
Like an ominous tide pushing man to the edge,
damning all of man’s thought, using fear as a wedge.

Then society buckled and ground to a halt,
(O the evil let loose from a burial vault.)
Further progress was quenched from our curious find
by the evil released to make man a blank mind.


40 Lines