Empathy for the devil

thoughts on sociopaths

Empathy for the devil,
sleeping inside my secret spaces,
edge of sanity eroding
under the sociopathic curtain
placed over the entry wounds
like a sheet pulled over a body
on a slab of cold steel.

better to slam the drawer shut
and walk away.

Author's Note

Reviews

[gutlesswonder]

There's something really interesting about this - I keep coming back to it. It's seems such a brief thought, one step taken in a dark direction before a quick decision is made to turn back ("closing the draw on that"). And I think everyone can relate to subject of ruminating on dark thoughts before choosing to mentally move on.

There's actually a lot of motion to this poem, as brief as it is. Really a great lessons about how much difference using the right words really does make. Inside, eroding, entry, pulled - maybe in context they aren't speaking to an actual actions/motion but they still lend the sense of it, propelling the exciting crawl from word to word along.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for the indepth review. You took the poem exactly as it was intended.

[KLMazon]

Forgiveness doesn't mean we must continue to endure the toxicity someone brings into our life. Very good write.

[Lyn Anderson]

You got it. Perfectly.

[KLMazon]

Thank you :D I think we're both pretty experienced in dealing with toxicity. Unfortunately.

[Lyn Anderson]

Kindred spirits in pain. Nice to see you again my friend.

[KLMazon]

Nice to see you. Very much pain, self inflicted through stupidity mostly though. I trust you are doing well.

[Pryde Foltz]

One must never confuse empathy as a choice in being with the empathy that can be induced without our awareness aka the Stockholm Syndrome. First we stop the victimization … first we stop the victimization. Masterful write, KL.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. The devil within and that without. Awareness and understanding.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

It is one thing to forgive people who hurt us, but another to keep allowing them to… well said my friend.

[Lyn Anderson]

Yes thanks. Recognition of the beast does not mean you have to house it and feed it.

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

If you do then you have only yourself to blame.

[Coyote Poetry]

Strong words and realistic place we can be in. I like the way you led to the positive ending.
"better to slam the drawer shut
and walk away."
Thank you dear friend for sharing the excellent poetry and song.
Coyote

[Lyn Anderson]

Thanks for looking past the surface.

[Coyote Poetry]

Was easy to understand my friend. A very good write.

[Alfred Kukitz]

To face the monster within is a step in knowing oneself.

Regards,
Al

[Lyn Anderson]

You are closer than you think. Thank you.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sanity is more dangerous when it comes back from the dead...it is a monster looking for a brain....for a reason, for reason.

[Lyn Anderson]

Why yes. The walking dead as it were.

[Jamestown]

He will rep what he has sown, no empathy, none! All glory and honor belongs to God!

[Lyn Anderson]

Pardon me, but this poem has zero to do with religion.

[Bright Ocean Star]

You can pity him all you want, but don't try to forgive and forget or look inside his twisted mind to understand where he's been or from what he came that made him who he is. There are some things just too dark and too disturbing for anyone to spend too much time on.

[Lyn Anderson]

Forgiveness and pity are not analagous to empathy.

[Bright Ocean Star]

Isn't empathy the action of being able to understand and identify with someone, being able to empathize with what they are going through...with forgiveness the end result? I wouldn't go there. I'd stop at pity and move on.

[Lyn Anderson]

Forgiveness is for me, which is not the same as forgetting

[Bright Ocean Star]

That is true. Healing comes with forgiving, and that's always a positive thing. But, it takes a long time to get there. Very nice writing...:)

[Jon Roggie]

With a lack of being, anything can be excused. Ability to notice the difference shows.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for popping in.