Evil Hides

A sociopolitical discourse on evil, perhaps

 

Evil Hides

 

Evil hides its face

dormant in our cells,

a cancer of thought

waiting for the moment

when every wrong and hurt

of one lifetime twists logic to shreds,

when blackness spews forth

in explosions of revenge,

volcanic ash resentments

pulverizing each human form

unfortunate to share its path.

 

We call this darkness evil,

its source unknown as lives tortured

behind closed dwelling doors,

unknown as scorn,

as ceaseless isolation in a crowded school,

unknown as minds demented with disease,

shuttered by faceless voices

of rage and false logic

which rend the mind.

 

We won’t face evil

in swank insurance board rooms,

dividends paid out handsomely,

treatment days closely guarded.

We won’t face it still

in classrooms of 35 five-year-olds

or when anyone of us turns his back

with compassion fatigue

or open disgust

at insecure bullies and timid victims

peopling our hallways and walkways.

We’re blind to evil passed down

as the secret to life

like a bottle of finely aged whisky,

or kept away like housing projects

in places we won’t stray near as a bullet.

 

We believe in secret causes

and plausible deniability,

bad seeds and bad blood incurable,

locked away from we innocents

and marked like Cain forever.

Public myopia and short memories

paint our glasses rose,

our rigid arms and fingers

arrowed in accusation.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Tessa]

Your writing is suberb, as always. It is is perceptive, interesting first two lines which raises alot of compelling questions,
Evil hides its face
dormant in our cells,
I liked your treatment of the issue, avoiding cliches and generalisations. The concept of 'evil' is such a dense one, and you've contextualised it well here,
We won�t face evil
in swank insurance board rooms,
This idea of 'we won't face evil' is a complex one...I think I need to think about it for a while...Your last line pinpoints the accusation circulating amongst the media and the public. Intelligent writing.
We won't face evil.... my mind twists with this one...

[Jeremy Enright]

Intense...powerful...brilliant

[Invisible Ink]

He was just another child, uncared for and alone, something was amiss and turned into a storm... being a teacher I try to reach out, it is our only way out of this mess we have created. Not to always see each other as the other, as something separate from us. These horrible things are happening around the world, and until we all reach out, they will keep happening. We must all take responsibility for everyone else. Great job!

[Gandré]

this has to be written. by whom, if not by you?

fantastic shaking-us poem...
time to change things.

[K Antonacci]

This is very abstract, and yet it hits home. I really like where you went with this and everything you put into it.
Love,
K

[M. Andre Vancrown]

David, well written as is most of your work and I guess I would raise two points, one is I felt this only touched on the VA shootings as a stone skipped across the surface, and two, I'm wondering if just describing the nature of evil (something we're all familiar with even as children) is enough to elevate this poem beyond captain obvious status :) Sorry, no offense, I only point these out to get you to think about it from that perspective and ask yourself if you have something original and eye-opening you could layer on top of this to make it stronger (in relevance). As I said, it was well executed so it's not a craft issue . . . just content.

And thanks for sharing it, bud. Take care,

Michael

[Randall Richard]

i don't get the photo, but i like the poem. nice percussive style.well thought out. good stuff

[Amy Widmer]

at insecure bullies and timid victims
peopling our hallways and walkways. "--------my favorite part.

well done!

[Antony]

A very powerful write David, You used such good phrases and words to describe this evil, and how easy we will forget about it, never correcting the problem of such evil, like it's inevidable that it will always exist. Easy to explain away, then to deal with it. This was excellent.
Tony

[Phantom Heart]

Wow, Ii really thought this had such a depth that I have to think about it for awhile before I can say anything about it. It is going in my library...

[Barry S. Maltese]

Evil hides itself until the right moment then pops out surprisingly to try and consume whatever goodnes lays in it's path. You did a wonderful job with this one. Shining the spotlight on the many forms that evil takes. Great job (as always)