The Catacombs

Once upon a time there was a grand kingdom,
with great walls to keep out harm,
and great gates to welcome friends.
The kingdom was peaceful,
it's rulers just and wise
and it's citizens full of wonder and love.
The kingdom had many joyous celebrations,
it saw rain and sun,
new life come into the world,
new love stories unfold,
and did not run on gold,
but on intent and hope.
Of course, this much light casts dark shadows,
So under this glorious kingdom are the catacombs.

They are here to keep the kingdom safe from it's dark,
but also to keep the dark safe from the light.
This is where the kingdom keeps the very darkness
that makes the light so bright.
The darkness is not evil or dangerous,
it is necessary,
and it is what keeps the light burning.
The dark is where the shadows go
so that they can go unnoticed.
They remember what it is to be forgotten.
They get lonely, as can be expected,
but they are not sad,
they do not feel much at all,
they are only shadows.

Were you to wander through the catacombs
you would see nothing, for there is no light.
You would hear nothing, for nothing quite exists in this space.
After a while, you would become lost,
unsure whether you were coming or going,
upside down, or backwards, or human.
The void may drive you mad.
You may begin to hear the shadows whisper
and tell of things they once were
smiles and laughter and rainbows
all dead and gone and living in the underneath.
You mustn't fear, it's safe down here.
The shadows remember everything,
including the light of life.

The kingdom would not be so great
if it not for the catacombs,
the place to keep the dark
because, consider this;
every kingdom has darkness,
most keep theirs out in the open for all to see.
These kingdoms often become sad,
or angry, or uneasy,
they often attack other kingdoms
because they give darkness the freedom to control them,
but this darkness is neither controlling nor controlled,
it is embraced.
This kingdom is great because it keeps darkness out of sight
and it always will be because it keeps it's darkness.