The Darkness Wore a Human Skin

The darkness wore a human skin
to take his pretty pictures in
A charming disguise so well-made
to aid the simple part he played
With a hello to the men on the street
and a tip of the hat to all he did meet
He made his way to the studio
where the filmmakers waited row on row
They set their records and greased the lens
and gathered up the odds and ends
The show went well without a hitch
except for one tiny little stitch
The cameras on the stage did snap
and the audience began to clap
And in the sudden flash of light
he hid his face and strove to flight
Dashing from the theatre far
and flagging down a nearby car
He retreated to the shadows there
and ran a cold hand through his hair
Whispering 'take me to the river near'
as the driver sat in frozen fear
The lights of the city fled away
as they drove past hills of dirt and clay
And finally the darkness rose
and peeled his skin from head to toes
He placed his fee in the driver's hand
and put his feet in the riverbank's sand
And stepping in he sank from sight
but they saw him in the sky at night
Rising high to the heavens overhead
and underneath the childrens' beds
In the shadowed places around the world
he slinked his darkest form unfurled
Behind the counters and under the sink
and behind the moon as some might think
And hidden deep in the hearts of man
where few of us can understand
In places bright he cannot go
as those who see already know

But the darkness still lurks
with his slow, soft, grin
Buried deep beneath my skin