HUNGER

A hunger lies within me,

A fathomless aching need,

Unaware from where it stems,

But I know I must feed the beast.

He is physical in nature,

Of that I am quite sure,

He requires bodily sustenance,

But claims – demands – far more.

He ravages my frail, broken body,

Punishes mind, heart, and soul,

He is a never-ending thirst,

A longing to be filled, made whole.

He’s both powerful and frightening,

Roars and thunders and storms,

But his motives are true and tender,

And, so, I find I am torn.

Do I detest this monster within me,

Or welcome his presence, not dread?

Can the poison which destroys my body,

Become my antidote instead?

He yearns for mercy and benevolence,

For those who share this plight,

And rages against injustice,

Battles it with all his might.

He cries out for aid and awareness,

Thirsts for understanding and grace,

Wars against apathy and indifference,

It is empathy and warmth he craves.

He is a brutal beast of burden,

Who carries the pain of the lost,

His passion and fire breathe knowledge,

But at such great personal cost.

For the beast, he wounds, in this struggle,

The pangs grip, torture, and twist,

As he aches for those who surround him,

Who seek more than to merely exist.

He craves to find an answer,

Deep longing for release and relief,

He is starving for treatments, a cure,

In a miracle, he still believes.

The creature, he mortally injures,

He damages to the inner core,

His unsatisfied longings ever-looming,

My heart cannot – but must – bear much more.

He has ranted, pleaded, and threatened,

Begged for someone to hear,

But his words and sincerest entreaties,

Too often have fallen on deaf ears.

He engulfs, overwhelms – swallows all,

But his intent is gentle and pure,

One must feel his cruel, monstrous sufferings,

To know, to show, to endure.

In the end, when he falls in hard battle,

When his struggle for good has finally ceased,

There can be but only one conclusion:

'Twas beauty which killed the beast.