The Devil Tempts
by Michael Doyle

The Devil tempts an overplayed hand
Something that even kings understand
There is merit in finding humiliation
It leads us to patience and toleration

Each a step toward our maturation
As we learn to live lives of moderation
Somehow...between our grief and elation
Are those rarer moments of exhilaration

Each of these are a part of life we live
As we learn to take less and to give
Betrayals that come to challenge pride
Too many errors that we wall inside

To the point, where reason falters
Like cut bait cast on the waters
This may be the mind of the Devil's recourse
As our clean hearts seek every resource

Like puppets dancing on the Devil's song
Our melancholy does not truly belong
Because these are the ways of those afraid
And not part of the bargains forced to be made

(c) March 21, 2022  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved