We hairless monkeys are strange and duplicitous creatures. One moment, we demonstrate that we're capable of great goodness, bravery, and compassion by giving to others, advocating for equal rights, and even sacrificing ourselves so that others may live. The next moment, we find ways to justify murdering innocents by the millions and then for the sake of efficiency, stuffing the lifeless, defiled bodies of our victims like cordwood into ovens to be disposed of like so much rubbish. So, what gives?

Humanity's propensity towards evil doing has troubled philosophers and thinkers for as long as our species has been able to think about more than just eating, sleeping, and breeding. At first, in our ignorance, we laid the blame for the darkness in our souls at the feet of malevolent deities. It was easier to say, "The devil made me do it" than to admit that our own selfishness, anger, ignorance, and arrogance are enough to inspire us to do harm to others.

Since evil was seen as the dark work of Set, Satan, Balor, Moloch and all the other members of the evil pantheon, it seemed reasonable that the shamans, priests, priestesses, and oracles who represented the good deities would be responsible for fighting the influence of the evil gods in their fellow humans. Of course, this was a problem because what was seen as evil by one person may not be seen as evil by another. For example, a person who chose to use herbs to heal sickness instead of offering sacrifices and prayers to a god might be seen as anti-god and therefore an emissary of evil. This, "If You Ain't For My God, You're Against Em" view of things led to inquisitions, witch burnings, being fed to lions. and many other forms of violence against those who simply didn't kiss up to the right deity. Side bar: Those poor lions. Christians are terribly high in fat, cholesterol, and are notorious carriers of hepatitis A and e-choli because they're often full of shit. Ironically, those responsible for fighting the machinations of the evil deities actually performed some of history's most heinous acts of murder, torture, and mayhem in the name of good. One has to assume that Satan, Set, Moloch, and their evil minions must've been pretty jealous because the holy do-gooders were doing their work for them. What's worse, the followers of good actually proved to be VERY good at doing evil.

In the modern day, a person's penchant for doing evil is viewed more as an individual failing or mental illness. So, the evil deities of old have found themselves out of a job. Unfortunately, in this age of mass communication, evil enthusiasts can easily find each other and share ideas. This has allowed them to mobilize and create things like FOX News, televangelists, social media, and country music. Thanks to technology, evil can be spread around the world in seconds. It's the kind of efficiency that Satan and Set would've given their left nuts for back in the bronze age.

All things considered, I think the Beast is us. We force asthmatic Piggy and his notions of decency and kindness off the cliff more often than not without the need for supernatural temptation. If Satan and his evil deity counterparts do exist, they must be pretty bored. I wonder how Satan is making ends meet since his services aren't needed anymore. I bet he can't pay the gas bill and the lake of fire has grown cold. If I had to guess, bankrupted Lucifer et evil all have been forced to take nine to five gigs as tobacco and NRA lobbyists.

Does evil come from within or without.Hatred magnetizes our polarity.

Good bad becomes human.

Created for destruction?

Created to destruct?

We’re instructed by a two sided mirror that helps us look at others through ourselves.

An image of a bloody heart held with an iron fist.

We react and flinch when the fist opens and our beating hearts can freely breathe again without our own restraint.

The windows of our souls dirtied by our own outer selfish actions.

Before birth after death.See no evil hear no evil.After birth before death.See evil hear evil.

Hear no evil?

You hear an ungodly shriek.

That could be someone closing a faulty window.

A person starts walking towards you with a look of horror on their face.

That‘s real.Then you hear the ungodly shriek from their lips.

No longer a possible faulty window.

Now it makes sense this is real.

We cannot judge evil by its voice,We also have to look it in the eyes or through the eyes of others.

Our inner demons are what make us human?

Rage,jealousy,hatred,etc.

Do we want to mask these traits?

Thats when the outer demon manifests itself.

Before you speak or act on your words,clench your teeth and close your eyes,then make a fist and squeeze til you feel your own pain.

You will find that evil cannot see or hear,when you bind and blind

the summoning of your inner demon.

Here she might smile.

Smile with pretty teeth.

Lips peeled back to reveal what's underneath.

Sharp, yellowed in some spots, but shiny none-the-less.

There might even be a hint of broken bones that give way to maybe some bad breath.

And she is here. Monstrous.

Eyes that pierce through the dark, yellow, and gleaming like a wolf's might.

Nose wrinkles, gaze hard. She's got a hunger and you're involved.

Involved in the heart tearing transgressions.

In which her faith is shook.

Involved in catering to her obsessions,

Because she's no open book.

And with all her claws and teeth, she'll tear you so.

To make up for her father's mistake,

one you'll never know.

And so in this inhuman shape, she'll give wake to all the things that give her power to take and take,

so when the human shape comes back, she'll never wake to horror and sadness all around. Because the only horror and madness that comes is furred in black and growls.

Growls with teeth, all too sharp.

Pretty demon. A beast so big, it'd eat your heart.

I feel it always

Lurking in the shadows

Scraping its claws

Down the walls of my mind

Whispering such awful things

Adulthood is an exercise

In resisting these baser instincts

To lust and feast

To think only of myself

Of my pleasure and delight

It dreams of violence

Malevolence and control

It sings that I am special

That the rules that govern others

Should not apply to me

Sometimes I fall

For it's silky bear-trap promises

I become the beast,

I bite and growl and injure

Then retreat into the safety of my den

I wish that kindness were effortless

As easy as breathing

But most days it is a struggle

To be empathetic of others

To be compassionate to myself

The beast delights in shame

It wraps it around us both

Like a devastating cloak

It dances across the day

Stamping me beneath it's heavy feet

It leaves no room

For more delicate sensibilities

Like love or tenderness

There is only survival

Survival at any cost

It must have saved me too

This animal inside me

Fought when I couldn't fight myself

With tooth and claw and rage

Fought to survive

Is life a journey to resist the beast

To tame that wild animal

To make it pliable and calm

Or is it futile madness

To resist who I am, when no-ones watching?

Her finery on display

Hair soigné

A gracious host, some may say

She glides each step

Meticulous in motion

A perfume of the finest potion

A manner calculated

And interests well imitated

At first you might be intimidated

Until you're not

Disillusioned by the need

Unprompted by her greed

You step away unceremoniously

Only to return

With cheeks that brightly burn

And an internal yearn to snap

Give your toothy smile

Grin and bare your fangs

If she crosses paths she'll feel the pangs

Meek you might have been

Weak she might just win

But you found your nerve

Become the beast she does deserve

Visions of souls and things that went wrong

Visions of past that eats me to the bone

I am stuck in the world of ghosts and “my fault”

I want to get out but I just dig more

Haunted by demons that rip me to shreds

“Bring on the storm”- I scream in my head

Starved of the sunlight I cling on to my meds

Just hold on tight as I bury myself in bed

Mr green doctor eases the pain

Shrooms seem to take it all away

Ambien keeps the nightmares alive

And here I go again on this crazy ride

Nightmares, monsters

Time to hide

Shakes and jitters

I’m out of my mind

Haunted by past

Can’t live my dreams

Haunted by my mind

Just set me free