The Heart Of The Matter

by Paul Waring

Sunday 19th February 2017 7:56 pm

I sensed you knew it was time

I circled you long enough

before making my move

striking stealthily

taking you swiftly down to death

my marksman's precision

using razored teeth

honed long ago

on prey more elusive than you

standing over you

my prize

I begin a ruthless dissection

ravenous, blood-drenched canines

clinically tearing you limb from limb

chewing mouthfuls of minutiae

the meat you kept from me

until I reach the heart of the matter

and finally

digest this mystery

Comments

Paul Waring

Tue 21st Feb 2017 11:55

Thanks Stu, your kind compliment is much appreciated. I wanted to use powerful language and images to create a sense of darkness and mystery (which I've since revealed below!).

Paul

Stu Buck

Tue 21st Feb 2017 11:15

making me hungry and a bit scared at the same time. quite a feat! i love dark poetry if its well written and suitably mysterious, which this is.

Paul Waring

Tue 21st Feb 2017 04:47

Thank you all for reading and commenting. Some very interesting comments and interpretations, I must say.

This poem reflects my love of David Attenborough programmes about how animals (n.b. elP, not humans) stalk and kill their prey. This gave me the idea to explore how, as human beings, we become so frustrated about being deceived/cheated/lied to/kept in the dark, etc to the point where we can't 'beat around the bush' any more, and so might assertively confront a partner, family member, friend, co-worker, politician or organisation in an attempt to seek the truth.

So, thanks John, Colin and Suki, I really enjoyed reading your takes on this piece. And Col, on Sunday I completed a piece with reference to Eros and Cupid - amazing coincidence!

elP, this poem is not about cannabalism and I'm struggling to understand the rest of your comments, even after reading them several times. But thank you nevertheless for your observations.

Paul

suki spangles

Mon 20th Feb 2017 09:25

This poem, for me anyway, can also be read as someone who is attempting to access a memory/memories that have wounded deeply (themselves or others), and in the process the self-hate of accessing the "heart of the matter" becomes self-lacerating. Powerful stuff Paul.

Suki

<Deleted User> (13762)

Mon 20th Feb 2017 09:00

I can't help but see an image of a cherubic Eros or Cupid gone astray and taking his role just a little too far. There is an almost mythical element to this that begs interpretation from the reader. Intriguing stuff Paul.

elPintor

Mon 20th Feb 2017 02:33

Despite it's more obvious connotations, I'd have to say that there's an element of cannibalism involved, here. It's somewhat difficult to describe but I would say that uncovering anything that lay in darkness requires exploration of darkness--be that darkness already existing within the explorer or beckoning his curiosity. Maybe, as in how they say good detective work requires the ability to think as a target which may, in turn, require the taking on of the target's persona to some degree.

I wonder how many endeavoring upon such pursuits find that they experience some sort of profound reckoning with themselves along with those they pursue.

elP

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The Heart Of The Matter

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