The Shepard's Fold

Barren isolation amongst the closest of friends, longing for contentment and peace.
Beaten and confined by an established code of counterintuitive reason and worth.
Settling to mimic the distorted reflections of shadow's cast.
Autonomous allegiance to that which passes away, obscuring the infallibility of the unseen.
Bitter unrest tears a hole in the whole of a man.
Gut wrenching fear paralyzing the will and the mind, staying the purveyance of grace.
Catatonic disposition, well dressed with a veil of passive obedience to acceptance.
Traversing the well-beaten path with a contrived countenance of success.

Face first in the corner of an empty room.
Confidence is found in hiding, although vulnerable and in plain view.
Self-protective deception is only detrimental.
Shutting eyes to the light brings darkness only to the inside.