Left Defenseless

My great grandfather was a hunter


Of ferocious beasts

Man-eating tigers

Lethal Komodo dragons

Pythons you would not believe


But not for sport, no

He killed for his village

The safety of his people


I have my own beasts

Demons I seek to destroy

So that my life may continue

But when does the hunter become the hunted?

When did my search become a chase

In which I knew not if I was running

To

Or from



I went from being confident in my game

To cowering in fear

As they circle in crouching victory

Waiting for the right moment to strike

To pounce upon my flesh


The tiger I am facing

Has such a fire in his eyes

That even if I escaped from his jaws of death

Those eyes would haunt me forever

And follow me to my grave


I can feel his claws along my backside

Scraping my spine

As he pierces my soul

With those raging flames


I am sorry, great grandfather

But my demons have caught me

And you taught me to carry only one bullet

To even the odds

Between man and beast


I am afraid that I have missed my shot

Because in trying to kill my tormentors

I did not realize

That the bullet was meant for me


For even if I kill one

There are many more coming

 I know that I cannot handle them all


And I refuse to be taken by something

With the devil in his eyes

-j.p.