Aspirations of a Savage Heart

On an island lies a burning fire.
Around it, chanting boys with spears
Dance. They know not to what they truly aspire,
Only that the flames will dry their tears.
And that it is fuel for unhindered desire.
With raised voices they quietly swallow their fears.

Living inside myself, I knew nothing of flames or fears.
Then I met you and kissed your lips, my initial taste of fire.
Two souls sweetly converged; we were pure desire.
Yet I refrained, afraid to get too close, afraid of spears
Beneath the beauty. Even then, you gently wiped away my tears.
Secretly, I knew to what dreams I yearned to aspire.

Shouting out loud to which dreams they aspire,
The boys utter not a word about doubts or fears.
Savages laughing wildly, bursting out hot tears
Of crazed joy. Amid the mass rages the fire,
Providing the only light, only hope. Two-ended sharpened spears
Stand erect, shrouded in darkness, drenched with blood and desire.

I thought of you and my temperature rose with desire.
But what you asked of me I could not aspire.
You would hurt me, you would tear me with your hidden spears.
To confide in you, confess to you all my fears
Would weaken me. When you tired I would be alone with only frozen fire.
Leave me be. Let me drown in doubts and tears.

In the plunging darkness, boys’ thick saline tears
Fall. Now, rescue and humanity is their only desire.
The glasses have been smashed in madness; there is no fire.
Deeper into the id they dive, nothing rational to aspire.
The root of evil lies not in man but in festering fears.
Salvation turned damnation transformed their precious spears.

It is our words which act as spears,
Cutting and slicing, producing twisted scars and tears.
Why is it that when faced with love, our fears
Take over? We constantly trade away love and desire.
Why not to dreams but nightmares do we aspire?
Still, in my heart, my hand longs to seize the fire.

Island boys give in to fears, brandishing sharp and deadly spears.
I hold the fire in my palm, giving in to your arms, to hope, to tears.
Of all the things which we desire, only to love should we aspire.