The Beast within

There is a beast within meA dark part of meThat frightens the lightAnd claws at my sexuality. It is sensual and softA mocker of its true desire.It wishes to control meBeguiles me to acceptNon reflective blacknessKeeping me in the shadow of my learningFilling me with desire and promisesAll the while feeding me With power hungry blasphemies. I reach out for the red life lineOf my minds maze.Using reason to quell its demands.Until I can understand its hungerI am at its mercy.

— seabhac, Sep 23, 2009

About This Poem

About the Author

Country/Region: GBR

Critiques

hugo la rosa

16 years 8 months ago

Dear Seabhac:

Powerful! I'm beyond speech, your words are amazing, and the images jump from the page with demanding vigor. You're a daring poet, one not mincing with words or meaning! Sincerely, Hugo

seabhac

16 years 8 months ago

Steppenwolf sounds intereting

Steppen wolf as in wolf of the Steppes? I think I have met that lonely creature Through pain creativity abounds

Kailashana

16 years 8 months ago

I think K’s reference was

I think K's reference was to Steppenwolf, a novel written by Herman Hesse, author of Sidhartha. It's a story of a man who believes himself to be of two natures: the elevated spiritual man and the man of lowly animal instincts. It's a story of seeing beyond one's self-made concepts, limitations. When you have time, perhaps you'll read a wonderful play by Eugene Halliday called *Beauty in the Beast*. http://www.neopoet.com/blog/26245-beauty-beast-play-eugene-halliday Matter of fact, I invite anyone who hasn't to read it. Well worth your time. ~A

seabhac

16 years 8 months ago

Thanks Anna

Yes it did eventually dawn on me that it was a book I had not read, copy ordered and just need to set aside some more reading time. Eugene Hallidays play looks very beckoning too so i will find a source for that. Thanks for taking the time to comment Seabhac

Candlewitch

16 years 8 months ago

hello again

The beast within... a powerful and dark poem, just what I love! I think we all have a beast of some kind within, that we individually war with. Most provoking, in a good way. Always, Cat

seabhac

16 years 8 months ago

Too true Cat

Bet there is a tiger within your soft exterior! This has provoked in many ways glad it hit the spot for you Best Wishes Liz

bjp

16 years 8 months ago

Dear Elizabeth,

I know that you like to use the first person. Still, I wanted to continue to show an approximation of the poem, with a less evident first person. I think that draw toward the "I want" within ourselves comes from a mixture to motives which include curiosity, anger, fear of mortality and boredom. I don't think we are so much at a loss to understand what is drawing us as we are at a loss at understanding why it is so difficult to set aside when its dangers are so evident. And if it is this hard to set aside notionally, how does one adequately control a real life conclusion? beast me darkness frighten out light - claw again' my sex sensual and soft mocker angry desire - wish for control - beguile me please toward the ignorant black of eve's shadow where "feed me" answers in hungry blasphemies the red lines of life mind's maze overheated pumping reason to quell this rage but understood this lurid merciless flush is dragging me to my own forsaking I think these are great questions and that you will find answers: askers almost always do. Brian

seabhac

16 years 8 months ago

Brian

You took a lot of time with this Brian and I really appreciate the alternative flipping of the poem. Yes I do tend to write in the first person and you have shown a wonderful example of how to change that. It changes the poem, certainly, taking the me out of it allows the reader to identify on a more personal level...I am not in it. It is an interesting quandry as I mainly write for me but by detaching myself from the body of the poem as you have done here it has more strength, more depth. You so correcty assessed the self questioning I am working through presently, I am an asker but sadly that comes with its own price. Sometimes the answers are not what you want to hear. It questions Truth , Honesty and Respect. Thank uou again for your thought provoking reply Liz

Seren

16 years 8 months ago

Dear Liz

I dont know how but I missed this one but now found I have to say , I dont think I have seen you write one quite this, its great and I love Brians Suggestions for this one it could be flipped as you both both discussed but still one of your best to date lol here I was only just saying on favourite changes and then i find another one ... love and higgest bugs Jayne x x

seabhac

16 years 8 months ago

I’m glad you found the

I'm glad you found the Beast within... so happy that you have a great outlet for your 'beast' in your work. This especially shone through 'Soaring in flames'...you lucky woman! Brians comments have had the head churning and been trying to asorb the feel for that. You are very kind with your praise and I am very grateful for your comments and reads of my poems... Hugs your way Liz