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>You can't kill the devil, so you must look at his face let him know you are on to him.  But I ask if it starts all over again, when does he go away.

The cycle never ends, unfortunately. You can only hope to keep the devil at bay for a little while and to find a gray area between light and dark to live in. This poem was not written with the optimism of "The End" in mind.   
  
Even those who struggle with the darkness within them can find moments of hope and beauty. It's been demonstratively proven in human history that the duality of man is here to stay no matter how close someone gets to flying along a straight path.  
  
Take for example, borderline personality disorder. 

It is a mental illness that is characterized by instability in moods, behaviors, and relationships. The instability can make it hard to keep a job, maintain healthy relationships, and function day-to-day. However, with treatment, many people with borderline personality disorder are able to find a middle gro

You can't kill the devil, so you must look at his face let him know you are on to him.  But I ask if it starts all over again, when does he go away.  Good poem, lots to think about it and take from it.

>Nicely done. I do wonder how the cycle would begin again from there. Do you become the devil after breaking him open?

No, I don't become the devil, but the cycle of violence and destruction that he represents begins anew as I can never truly be free of him. He is always there - if not with me, with someone else: taunting, reminding us of the darkness that exists within us all.

Nicely done. I do wonder how the cycle would begin again from there. Do you become the devil after breaking him open?

The cycle begins anew because there are always new people who need to be taught the difference between right and wrong. The cycle begins anew because there is always darkness and there is always light.

Hope that clears it up.

Unless there are different devils for different levels, I don’t see how the cycle begins again. Unless, you’re destroying your demons. In that case, this is a poem about self actualization and development.

You can't keep a devil

in a jar,

you can't lock up

the devil in hell,

no matter how much gold you toss

or how many crosses you build

the devil is free to run amok

he is free to play

and the only way to kill him

is to follow his trail

into the darkest part of you

and then break him open

until all that's left

is pure white light

that only burns in darkness.

&amp;#x200B;

And then the cycle begins anew

again and again.

&amp;#x200B;

[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/xjhmo1/i_want_to_leak_blood_2022/ip8fhpk/?context=3)|[2](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/xjfq6b/wood_house/ip8h0ce/?context=3)

Devil's Playground