Feed the beast in little ways,
So in its prison is where it stays
This helps you keep the beast in check
Or else, your life, it will rule, and wreck
Feed the beast with morsels, tiny
Distract it with the bright and shiny
You must give it something, however slight
Or its strength and rage, you will ignite
A starving beast snarls and raves
Doesn’t take orders, never behaves
Denied all sustenance, thinks it’s dying
At the locks, it picks; cell bars, prying
A daring escape; you’d try it, too
If your stomach, you could see right through
But a monster fed with… just… enough
Stays weak, and doesn’t grow too tough
It waits, content, for the next meager spoon
Against its power, you remain immune
Feed the beast the smallest part
Or, it will rip out, and eat your heart
Wean it on tidbits, the worst parts of you
Sample-size snacks of indulgent taboo
Otherwise, the creature… well, it just may
Take hold of your deeds, the words you say
You see, each of us, every single one
Is a no-good, worthless son-of-a-gun
Anyone who says different is lying to you
Or perhaps, to themselves, as so many do
We’re horrible things, down, deep in the core,
With lusts for lying, theft, and gore
Incestuous, selfish, conniving creeps
In daylight, our true nature hides, and sleeps
We’re bullies, crooks; we cheat on our taxes
We’d gladly chop up our neighbors with axes
That is, if we thought we wouldn’t take a fall
But, knowing we will, we don’t try at all
If not for society, we’d be twice as mean,
Three times as lazy, rude, and obscene;
Running over each other, no second thought
Breaking and taking what others have bought
These horrid perversions reside down low
In the parts where most are too afraid to go
But, the thirst is still there; we cannot escape
Our secret desires for pillage, and rape
All that a civilized person can do
Is to keep it all chained, not let it get through
Most try to ignore it, they try really hard
Whistling nervously through the graveyard
These are the ones you can’t really trust;
Can’t face their demons, although they must
Any part of you that’s even a little bit dark,
Is a mirror reflection of themselves, a spark
That spark ignites within them a fury
Appointing themselves both judge and jury,
Punish you, for guilty feelings of their own
Cravings they cannot shake from their bones
Afraid of their shadows, they cast them on you
A scapegoat for things that they’d like to do
Unable to admit they’d do it, if they could
Admit to your urges, they’ll say you’re no good
They tried to starve their monsters to death
Their monsters took over, stole their breath
Becoming beasts; the beasts having won,
Police not themselves, but instead, everyone
Others, they feed their phantom too much
So close to the ghoul, it can reach out and touch
The fiend strangles, once it takes hold
Turning them cruel, heartless, and cold
So, take the advice, and stay to the middle
Don’t run from the Devil, or play second fiddle
Seduce your succubus, incubus, or imp
Trick it, trap it, keep it weak, and limp
Feed the dark beast your unwanted scraps;
To prevent you from falling into its traps
Give it just enough, so that it doesn’t try
To feed off of you, to make you its supply
©2023 Kevin Trent Boswell
Kevin Trent Boswell 