Manichee

Manichaean Ankh

oh are the spirits of light
in eternal contention
with forces of darkness
humanity serving their
flesh and bone battleground
ever commingling its peace
with its pleasures and pains
all the nobler and baser
intentions consigned to a blur
every starburst of light
quickly swallowed by shadow
the material evil ensnared
in mortality yields lifelong
ignorance suffering
not even death will relieve
unless mind supplants body
allowing the self come aware
of the truth in its gnosis
that virtue may triumph with
knowledge the only salvation

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“God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.”                            – Saint Augustine