FACE OF A MONSTER

face of a monster


face of a monster stares back from the looking glass
eyes searching it's own eyes for signs of beauty
and finding none there, begins to weep

marred and scarred and pocked and pitted
the face resembling the landscape of the moon
and a mad scientist's experiment gone wrong
a hollywood special effects joke on the soul of an angel

a howl begins somewhere deep within the marrow of the man
works it's way up the belly, the heart, the soul
and erupts from the twisted mouth that will never know
the kiss of a woman

anguish unbearable and unending, the cry goes on till dawn
then whimpers it's way back down into silence 
and sleeps again until the cover of night returns
to allow the waking monster to creep about unseen
protected from mocking eyes of others

and all is well until the odd reflection of silver or glass
or the mirror encountered or moon on the water
reveals what the monster can no longer deceive himself
into believing does not exist: 
his twisted face and twisted flesh

he was not born this way but living now resembles living death
inside his hulk beats not a monster's heart 
but a soft and pliable loving, yearning mass, 
dreams and emotions, memories of sun and sky,
tenderness from touch of mother's hands, 
smiles of friends and taste of apples

soft, soft beauty, sweet, sweet caress memories
like the fuzz of dandelions blowing in the wind
the face of the monster is bowed into the dark wind now,
tears falling on the pavement like raindrops 
and in his sorrowed heart bursts the passion of a thunderstorm
and the kindness of a saint but no one will ever know
because no one ever looks beyond the face.

©by Voo
Jan 8, 2005 
7:15 p.m.