My Sweet Revenge
Real Picture of What I Saw Written on Someone's Door
A little background . . .
Oh, what do I mean by sweet revenge? It’s about how the allure of revenge entices us to seek to claim what it promises. If only those promises were real, we would be forever grateful for such a quick fix to all our pain and suffering. Our wounds could heal without the reflection and forgiveness that only comes with time.
Revenge encompasses all of the acts of retaliation directed towards someone who we feel has wronged us in some way. Our quest for revenge can take many forms from passive aggressive acts such as ignoring someone to fits of violent rage. Why are we so quick to think of revenge?
We think of revenge as a means to feel better. After someone has treated us harshly, hurt our feelings or taken us for granted, we feel the intense pain of the betrayal of someone we cared about or even loved ~ thoughts of revenge may creep into our minds as a way to perhaps get the person who hurt us to feel that same pain.
Acts of revenge provide us temporary relief from our pain. However, they don’t help us heal. While we may think that we want revenge, we really don’t. What we really want when seeking revenge is for the people who wronged us to acknowledge our pain and try to make amends.
My poem is entitled “My Sweet Revenge,” and it tells of the struggle to understand the feelings of revenge and what they represent. It is a free verse poem. When I feel the need to burn someone’s house down in an act of revenge, I really want this person to say they are sorry for hurting me. Revenge is sweet because it is a simply a wonderful dream of trying to achieve something that is not possible. Someone who hurts you may never truly feel sorry. You can’t make another person care about you or your feelings. Once I am able to admit what I really want when I seek revenge, I begin to heal and finally start to let go of the one who has done me harm. Revenge is a prison from which we must all break free from in order to go forward with our lives.
My Sweat Revenge
First I thought
of every way
to harm your world.
I see you
on your knees
begging me
to stop the flames.
I see you
asking me
to stop the pain
allow your scar to heal
return your life –
whole.
All fleeting moments
of justice delivered
provide brief moments
of disillusioned comfort
unable to heal
my open wounds.
Whatever evil thoughts
come to mind
do not provide
what I need.
For my main thought
is of a dream
of the day
that you might grow
feel a heart-full emotion
ripped away.
Childish I know
to think such thoughts
of sweet revenge
never to come.
After all this time
finally I cried
for everything that was
that will never be again.
Wondering
if I feel sad enough
will you come
to ease my pain
provide comfort
for my missing heart.
