Am I safe within my own skin?
Locked here inside the same sheathe
Housing a mind so full of sin
…
I try to escape the voices, the dreams
But they follow me wherever I go
Threatening to rip me apart at the seams
…
I try to smile and nod at those who wave
As insidious whisperers insist I gouge out their eyes
Yes, Mommy, truly I try to behave
…
Take the matches, the can of gasoline
Lock the church doors, Ignite a conflagration
Then dance a gleeful merry row obscene
…
A little girl out on the street, hair so fine
Sweet rosy cheeks, a smile so innocent
Begs to be flayed, her warm glance a sure sign
…
NO! Don’t do it the second voice cries
The quieter voice, drowned neath the bedlam
Begs me no, but anymore it barely vies
…
I wake, shivering from night terrors, clammy with sweats
Wherein I gloried in mayhem, violence, death
Set the world afire and place your bets
…
Grabbing my head, I try to push them aside
Screaming, yelling, the voices to obscure
But within my own skin, nowhere to hide
…
Lips chapped, skin hot, feverish, manic
Why is there a butcher knife sitting there?
I see the blood, my brain in a panic
…
Last night I gave in, unable to resist
Her little corpse on the floor; so pale, so cold
Within the horrific glory I did subsist
…
I heeded at last the call, the insistent urge
She was walking home, alone, young, tender
Now she’s just meat on which dogs may splurge
…
Am I guilty? Is it my fault?
Or is it Dad’s, whose voice keeps whispering
From deep within my past’s once locked vault
…
I hear the bullhorns, police dogs baying
I pick up the blade, sharp, deadly, beautiful
As it enters my forearm, I hear mom praying
…
No one is safe when I’m in my own skin
So now I’ll exit, depart this hell in which I exist
Turns out my own shell is truly quite thin
About the Creator
Andrew C McDonald
Andrew McDonald is a 911 dispatcher of 30 yrs with a B.S. in Math (1985). He served as an Army officer 1985 to 1992, honorably exiting a captain.
https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Keys-Andrew-C-McDonald-ebook/dp/B07VM843XL?ref_=ast_author_dp
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (2)
Horrific and impressively written!!! Left a bloody heart!!!
Pass the butcher knife to me, I'll take care of the rest of them, lol. Loved your poem!