This is my old house on the marsh, and here,
Here is the terror of the distant sea
Moaning, and here the wind that wails, the drear
Groans like a ghost’s, the desolate house of fear
Whence I fled once from my great enemy —
This is the house! O speechless misery!

Aleister Crowley, Oracles, The House

Hermetic quote Crowley Oracles house terror distant sea moaning wind wails groans ghost desolate fear great enemy speechless misery

Consider also:

  1. “poverty is an economic catastrophe, inseparable from the power of greedy oligarchs and avaricious plutocrats indifferent to the misery of poor children, elderly and disabled citizens, and working people.”
  2. “This time she set her will against my will; Swore that she would not come: in my despair I half believed her an enchantress fair Cruel as hell and dowered with subtle skill To strain my life out with her love, and kill My soul with misery: suddenly a rare Swift smile set shimmering all the ambient air, And then I knew she was my true love still.”
  3. “For I must pass Desolate into the dusk of things again, Having risen so far to fall to the abyss, Deeper for exaltation; I must go Wailing and naked into the inane Cavernous shrineless place of misery, Forgetful, hateful, impotent, except The last initiation seize my soul, And fling me into Isis’ very self, The immortal, mortal.”
  4. “I don’t want to be high any more or again, and this sends me into a spiral of misery, life seems completely empty if this magic world is too painful for me. I want to die and I have infinite terror of the pain of every form of death. I see emptiness and hopelessness everywhere.”
  5. “Sleep there, nor know me gone: sleep there And never wake, although God’s breath Catch thee at midmost of the prayer Of sleep—that so dream turns to death! Pass, be no more! The beckoning dawn Woos the white ocean: I must go Wither my soul’s desire is drawn. Whither? I know not. Even so.”