Corrupt the Livid

An entry for a contest in which the poem's title must be "Corrupt the Livid".

Corrupt the Livid

Two foes conspire to undermine
this noble, fiery rage of mine;
to bring to shameful, sweet negation
my bitter, angry conflagration.

The first is Apathy - that beast
that knows not how to justly feast
on Righteous Causes.  No, it sips
from Tolerance's spell-stained lips.

But worse is Peace - that wicked breeze
which snuffs the flame of anger, frees
the part of Man I fear, when free:
the confidence in Destiny.

How to combat these flameless foes
when slumber beckons, patience grows?
Can they be held at bay by fear,
the loss of that which I hold dear?

But that which matters not at all,
and that which matters most of all
combine to strip my fears away -
and nighttime terror dawns to day.

And so subsides the livid flood
of Causes boiling in my blood;
The mellow pill of maturation
daily mutes my indignation.

~Basilides