Psychopath

He walks among us.

As a child, he had

too many hits

on the head

with a snake,

so he tortured toys

because he'd pulled

the legs off all

the spiders

in the neighbourhood.

 

He learned to ejaculate

backwards

simply to spite himself,

and stood on the edge

of town,

a razor's keenness

stroked across

the once virgin skin

of his stubbled face,

until blood read

poetry spilt

from purple lips.

 

He'd never fill that face

with gas,

more Ted Hughes

than Sylvia Plath,

his hardened edges

ground in powdered

glass as he swallowed

pride like an aspirin

pain.

 

No need for statements

from tattoos on skin,

no intention to ink himself

with anything more than

the blackest of Satan's sins.

 

He fell from the grace

of all the gods on earth,

and chalked the school walls

with spray painted expletives,

and the prison walls

with his own excrement.

 

But he doesn't look

in the mirror,

for it has nothing

to say to him,

and he doesn't

look away from the

downcast eyes

that cannot

meet his stare,

for his heart

is an empty.

hollow chamber,

and his soul is

nothing but ash.

 

01/09/19

 

Author's Note

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is really powerful...and when he looks in the mirror...he doesn't see himself...just a blank...
and he is a bomb just waiting to explode...no heart...that died when he was born....like an evil twin that killed the other...and now walks alone, with no emotion, just bad purpose.
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed that is the psychopath be is man or woman Jacob! Many thanks for the review.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

PS Had you spotted the two Disney references?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

afraid i missed those.

[Chris Shaw]

He does indeed walk among us. Anyone capable of inflicting harm on living creatures and enjoying it, is in my opinion capable of doing the same to our species. No heart, no soul, an empty shell. An excellent free verse account of a psychopath in my humble opinion. Be wary. Good afternoon John. September sun, luvverly.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thanks Chris. Started out as another me and gram sword duel but metamorphosed into my previous profession lol. Many thanks.

[Chris Shaw]

I bow to your expertise professional and poetical :)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah surely neither is so profoundly superior to make an independent woman such as you, dear poetess, bow to a mere serf.

[Chris Shaw]

Ha ha. Off your knees, you are allowed to look at me eye to eye :)))

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Think I may have to ask for a box to stand on......

[Chris Shaw]

:)).........Enjoy your afternoon John

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Aye an you too!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

PS Had you spotted the two Disney references?

[Chris Shaw]

Toy Story? The one about the mirror, Snow White?

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Too many hits with a snake-Aladdin
He tortures toys-Toy Story

[Chris Shaw]

Ta :).........