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May 27, 2026
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Lessons from Heathcliff
Lion Rampant
The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour
- 1Peter 5:8
He came to me with the emblem of a lion;
See my majesty, hear me roar - I trample and triumph
I’m clothed in honour, steeped in courage - like a lion.
Yet, only like: “the hood maketh not the monk”.
He came to me with the emblem of a lion, but the heart of a snake.
Come into my world, he said, a world unlike any other;
A place of high trials, and even higher crimes
Of corrupt officials, gnarly cops and malpracticed medicine
Of subterfuge, intimidation, persecution and perverted justice.
This whirlwind world of deadly stakes, cemented in deepest ruthlessness
This underbelly of “service to Crown and Country”.
Come into my world, he said. A world of ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’;
That catchphrase of old - a bullet and a shield for those placed above the law.
Come into my world, he said, the world of the devourer.
Wilted
(For those in the shadows)
Red roses, they died on the counter
Royal crimson abandoned to fester
Petals withered, they spoke of the unspeakable:
Of wilting promises, blighted black
Of treachery’s rot and death in a kiss -
Of violence in lovemaking.
Red roses, they died on the counter
My red-bleeding heart laid on that counter
Burnished to brown, but you didn’t even look back:
Not at the moldered mosses of loss
Nor the terrible terrors of your corrupting…
Who brings roses to an execution?
Red roses, they died on the counter
Red roses, they were but a killer’s cover.
Heathcliff You Were Wrong
The malignancy of your intimacy
The frustrations in your attentions
That sweeping selfishness of your intentions:
To possess; to obsess
To dismantle; to distress
And though your passions were strong,
Heathcliff, you were so wrong.
You were wrong that love is violence
You were wrong that there’s satisfaction in vengeance.
All that you clung to; all that shaped you
Tried to teach me the trauma in the tantalising;
It was supposed to desecrate
Supposed to defile
Supposed to destroy.
But, dearest, Heathcliff, you were wrong
Isabella didn’t deserve battery
Catherine didn’t warrant ideation
And Young Cathy shouldn’t have been punished by confinement.
A woman is more than for a man’s ferocity.
We don’t want to be threatened or bruised into submission
We don’t want to be put on a pedestal of rabid fantasy
We don’t want to be duped into chaotic shambles labelled as affinity.
“Love is patient; love is kind…”
Where there's violence, it’s nothing more than a hangman’s bind.
My pain was your gain -
In my pain you were sustained.
Yet no longer will I strain beneath that soul-stain.
Heathcliff, in every which way,
You were ever so wrong.
Red Wine
I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine
Swirls of richness scintillating to the senses
Fullbodied flames that nullify heaven, earth… existence.
You make me forget my whole life.
I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine,
Every lap of a kiss, each pour of a caress, and the fiery flow of copulation.
To lose myself in the glow, the warmth, the exquisite pools of pleasure
There is only me. There is only you.
I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine.
The deeper I drink, the fiercer I thirst -
Streams surge into lakes, run as rivers, cascade to oceans
And soon I’m drowning.
I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine;
The retching of excess; the sickness in the bones; the migraine fogs.
That decadent poison.
I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine;
Two years sober, and counting…
— dione.rutendo, May 27, 2026
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About This Poem
Style/Type: Structured: Western
Review Request Direction:
How does this theme appeal to you?
Is the internal logic consistent?
Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism
Editing Stage: Not actively editing
Critiques
neopoet
1 week 2 days ago
Neopoet AI [2025-04]
The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet’s AI:
This poem sequence explores the interwoven themes of predation, trauma, romanticized violence, and recovery through four distinct but thematically linked sections. The structure—moving from biblical allusion and societal critique, through personal betrayal, literary interrogation, and finally to addiction and abstinence—creates a layered narrative arc.
Strengths: - The use of religious and literary references (1 Peter 5:8, “the hood maketh not the monk,” and Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff) provides a rich intertextual framework. This allows the poem to operate on both personal and cultural levels, critiquing not only individual relationships but also the narratives that shape perceptions of love and power. - The repetition of motifs (the lion, the red rose, the color red, wine) ties the sections together and reinforces the central imagery of danger, seduction, and loss. - The poem’s voice is direct and unflinching, especially in “Heathcliff You Were Wrong,” where the speaker systematically dismantles the myth of destructive passion as love. The explicit naming of abuse and rejection of romanticized violence is effective and clear. - The final section, “Red Wine,” uses the metaphor of addiction to parallel the earlier toxic relationship, culminating in a sober self-affirmation. The progression from intoxication to sobriety is handled with restraint and avoids sentimentality.
Areas for Consideration: - The poem sometimes leans heavily on exposition, particularly in “Lion Rampant” and “Heathcliff You Were Wrong.” While the directness is powerful, consider whether some lines could be made more evocative through imagery or implication rather than statement. For example, “We don’t want to be threatened or bruised into submission” is clear but could be reimagined with a more poetic device to maintain the intensity while deepening the reader’s engagement. - The biblical and literary references are effective, but the poem could benefit from more integration between these allusions and the speaker’s lived experience. For instance, the transition from the societal critique of “Lion Rampant” to the personal betrayal in “Wilted” is abrupt; a bridging image or motif might help the sections flow more organically. - The repetition of “Red roses, they died on the counter” in “Wilted” is effective, but the section risks becoming static due to the repeated structure. Consider varying the syntax or imagery in the repeated lines to build momentum or emotional escalation. - In “Red Wine,” the metaphor of addiction is strong, but the final lines (“Two years sober, and counting…”) are somewhat prosaic compared to the preceding lyricism. Consider whether the ending might be strengthened by returning to earlier imagery or by leaving the reader with a resonant image rather than a statement.
Overall, the poem’s ambition and thematic coherence are notable. The interrogation of violence, love, and recovery is compelling, and the use of recurring motifs and references creates a sense of unity across the sections. Further attention to the balance between exposition and poetic imagery, as well as the transitions between sections, could enhance the poem’s impact.
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Geezer
1 week 2 days ago
I am...
familiar with Heathcliff in passing but never having read it or the works of Emily Bronte. However... I'm thinking that maybe I should. It sounds like I should know him. I will have to see for myself, what sort of [despicable]? character he is. Reminds me of the Snidely Whiplash or Dishonest John cartoons of old. Polished , swarthy and egotistical. Here, I was thinking that it was going to be a poem about a cartoon cat! LoL
So, I started off with the intention of commenting on the last stanza of the piece. I was going to comment that I was just about to be bored with the repeated "I miss you like I miss a glass of dark red wine", when your ending hit me. "Two years, sober and counting." I'm thinking that you are not only speaking of the "dark red wine", but a relationship too? Maybe a part of the whole thing? Anyway, glad to welcome you to Neo. ~ Geezer.