the gallows

predator by name; you knew exactly where to
lurk. methodological; brazen in approach,
you knew we would be vaulted by shame.
you thought of yourself as the prince, word is
law. i've seen you in glimpses of nightmares,
and the shards come together, and i see you,
in whole, in daylight – a monster. i remember
the tidbits of philosophy you’d share as i grew
up – chewing on them, as if they had substance
to it, but eventually i grew up. and you didn’t.
you stewed in your hurt, believing it to be a
casus belli, and took it upon to try and bury
the innocent parts of us alive. i think about
traumatized we’ve become – how we’re ready
to stand up to you, but you sow other lands.
not out of reform, but out of fear, you know
that we know. you're still brazen to show
your face around here, lurking in the
shadows for the most part. i pray the day
comes, we’ll congregate one last time
to see you at the gallows.