Dancing with the devil you know

Unreality beckons, whispering in my ear
not so sweet somethings saying lose yourself
in the familiar folds of blissful oblivion
nothing hurts when we drift in the ether
and then everything does afterwards
so then don't think of afterwards
or of consequences, only of release
a chance to lay again and to lie again
rehash our fantasies, detach from reality

And then?
what then?

When we succumb, we alter without and within
losing hard won ground in this ongoing battle
between ourselves and the people
we aspire to be except on those days
when we want nothing more than to be a breath of wind
utterly inconsequential even within our own lives
thus we excuse ourselves from the hurt we cause
when we pause to listen to the malevolent whispers
of unwelcome unwanted visitors from our past

Oh but how they crow, they point and laugh
you see they know, and knowing has it's price
they say pay the piper or lose your soul
and only then might we let you go
but then the dance begins amidst the confusion
as colours brighten and noise levels heighten
unreality takes a hold as sad laughter bubbles up
as if to escape, and as it does you might notice
that it sounds painfully like the cries of hysteria

and then?
what then?

Well you see then you have the aftermath
the resounding impact of the almighty crash
as reality slams through our semi consciousness
realisation dawning, squinting against the light
of a day when all that matters is getting through
until the hour when the doors of the dance hall
re-open to the possessed and dis-possessed alike
because once dance fever re-takes it's hold
it takes the devils own strength to escape it

but only
if you dance

After all the dance hall never closes it doors
we delude ourselves that waiting is in fact control
when our delay is only in anticipation of the music
whereas choosing is but a turning point away
a re-creation of our lives devoid of this tomfoolery
learning instead the rhythms of new songs
ones that nourish once forsaken hearts and souls
and although I know all this there are still dark days
when I find my foot tapping to the old rhythm.