Our Human Animal

how transparent is your evil

today

on this day, inside of you

how have you tricked yourself 

into something else 

on this day

to remain 'productive'

how far below your surface

do you keep it hidden

and could you find it again

tomorrow 

if you had to. . .

or the next day

if you needed it. . .

that carnal thing 

that intrinsic thing 

that one thing that did bring us here

sir pure and mrs vicious 

the animal couple

we harbor inside

and between us

that one thing...

that lies inside 

every single last one of us

that one thing

that we hide 

at all costs

that one thing...

we used

to conquer the world with

violently

across oceans of time

as predators

against the darkest of obstacle

as monsters

against all that would stand in our way

as killers

as monsters

and now

dressed as something else

today

deep in rational thought

and still

writhing beneath it

now rising to meet you

a disposition immortal

as long as you remember

so now then,

can you still feel it

can you still taste it

at the supermarket
at the drug store

shopping on the internets

taking your children to school

avenging dirty looks

with keen eyes

and vicious body language 

and if you tried to. . .

could you still feel it

your shadow

your animal

what earned us survival 

the darkness

that part of you

with the most vicious of claws

that part of you

that would rip violently and tear

viciously 

on behalf of your loved ones

eyes from sockets

flesh from bone

life from humans

whatever it takes

until the bloody endss

and what does that feel like

to hide away

very deep inside

your vicious monster

what is that like. . .

to be so far from your nature

but so close to your violence

for shame

to be civilized 

controlled by consequence 

until you need it

until it's necessary

until only one thing 

          does matter 

do you still dream of it

sometimes...

your carnal nature

our vicious animal...

that thing we all share

can you still feel that

the viciousness 

that danger

that will to power

and your capacity 

     for great violence

     and dark moments...

can you still feel that?

(to save what you love)

  … by any means necessary 

do you still have that?

buried deep

can you still find that?

from the depths

       within you...

your animal 

Author's Note

Reviews

[AYVID N]

This write is very dark, David. I had a bit of trouble relating to it as I do not have a capacity for great violence or have been in a situation explosive enough, till date.

Perhaps, that side of us comes to the fore when the world becomes a more hostile place. It was needed when survival was day to day and one had to kill in order to live and propagate. That side of us may have been subdued over thousands of years of conditioning. I hope, it never has to surface and we never have to meet that human animal in us.

A very compelling read...

[Davidgeo]

Yes. Yes you do have a great capacity for violence.

We all do. It comes out in different ways but we all do have it.

You just haven't been put in that position yet.

When instinct takes over, you will be shocked at what you're capable of. There is a darkness is everyone of us. It's not evil, it's survival.

[AYVID N]

By logic and reasoning I understand that it is indeed for survival yet being what I am now, I'd like to deny that side of me unless I'm put in a spot. I hope not.

[Davidgeo]

It's always a good thing to live peacefully. But it's always a good thing to be capable and not need it than need it and not be capable. Never forget that.

[AYVID N]

That sounds reasonable and sound. Thanks.

[Chris Shaw]

An interesting poem to read and something we have talked about before. My Mrs Vicious is dormant, is under lock and key. I fear all violence, hate it, can't watch it but ..........I fear what I am capable of doing if I had to save my loved ones. That animal instinct for survival is in us all, it's just untested. I hope with all my heart that it remains that way.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

The animal in you is not purely restricted to your shadow.

It permeates everything you do. Not all animal instincts are inherently vicious. I like to think of qualities like determination, passion and vigilance to be manifestations of our animal but tamed and focused into something productive.

Violence isn't the only thing our animal side has going it for it.

This poem was way too long and parts of it were pretty redundant. Sorry you had to read through that.

[Erudite]

I LOVE this poem! I've been learning a lot about Carl Jung's philosophy of 'The Shadow' lately. Mainly through Jordan B. Peterson's lectures on youtube, but also via other sources. This is so real. So deep. A quote from Carl Jung is "That which is not made conscious, manifests itself in our lives as destiny."

We all have that shadow, and many great philosophers and psychologists argue that we'll never be completely actualized human beings until we learn to incorporate that shadow into our conscious selves.

That doesn't mean you have to be evil. It just means you have to have the Capability of inflicting great harm if the need presents itself. For, how can one be truly good if one is incapable of evil? It is being capable of evil, and choosing good instead that makes one truly good.

[Davidgeo]

You are a very intelligent reader. I am heavily influenced by Jung and Jordan Peterson in respect to a lot of what I write. Not everything, but most of it.

Peterson might be one of the most underappreciated thinkers of our age. It's a travesty how people portray him out of context.

Don't forget about old Freddy Nietszche though. The overman/ubermench/superman or whatever you choose to call it... the man who is just even without morals... that concept also has a large influence in most of what I write.