Poem for April 23

Today’s poetry prompt from Robert Lee Brewer at Writer’s Digest is a Two-for-Tuesday prompt. “In fact,” he writes, “this is one I include with every challenge.” Here are the options he offers:

• Write a love poem.
• Write an anti-love poem.

And mine is a single poem that does both.

’Twas The Beast Killed Beauty

Last night she dreamed she was in love with King Kong.

A big hulking brute of a beast he was,

Who petted and scorned her by turns.

He built her a shelter of sorts in the air,

Perched high on his haunches where no one could reach her.

He made it of sticks and mud and promises,

The ephemeral flora of the forest.

And from the outside

And from the ground

And from a distance

It looked solid enough.

 

Inside was all she needed:

A bed, a mop, a stove,

And one tiny window to let some outside light filter in,

But none of hers out.

And although he often squeezed her too tight,

And, truth be told, it did scare her some

When he pounded his chest or threw things,

She was

 

Happy.

 

No, really.

 

‘Till one day he lowered his great hairy hindquarters

To reach for some low-lying fruit,

Where, finding her feet on solid earth,

She tremblingly crept toward the palm-shaded window

And leaning her elbows upon the sill,

Stood looking and looking out.

 

 

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