“For God and For Devil” is a narrative poem with a dash of Americana noir and a hint of Gothic undertone. It is, perhaps, an inverse of Romantic poetry, but its conceptual base is the question of propriety in the face of wickedness expressed in something of a confessional spirit. As such, the work provokes existential contemplation and draws elements of morality into the scope. “For God and For Devil” is a snapshot in the “A Shattered Cup of Doom” realm, and released as part of the “Second Shards of Broken Glass” chapbook.
“FOR GOD AND FOR DEVIL”
i.
jukebox booth sunrise diner
we are two of a kind
detectives and suspects alike
same damned light, same damned crime
snarling wolves, bone to grind
and it feels like the end of the line
there once was a girl
who showed up at midnight
every night, many months, her and me
and there once was another,
taken in by his mother
as daughter, he cried, family
ii.
so i told him the truth
and i showed him the proof
his lip quivered and a tear filled his eye
such things cannot be
if our eyes cannot see
so he lies, to himself, so he lies
as i was so compelled
to breaking her spell
i laid it out, science and art
i did her so wrong and
it serves her so right
with a stake driven into her heart
iii.
but what kind of fool
must believe in his mind
the tales of a whore to survive
he is weak, worn, and tired
yet as fool and as liar
that man is far greater than i
so i leave him for midnight
alone in the moonlight
blood in my teeth, thorns in my hide
what becomes of a man
when you’ve done all you can
is for god
and for devil
to decide
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