Villain

Villains

I had difficulty with today's prompt: humanise a villain whilst maintaining their villainy, show a vulnerable side to evil. I wrote down a list of potential candidates - Hitler,  Thatcher,  Trump,  Dr No,  vampires - but found it impossible to give them a softer side.  And then I remembered a cat I once had who was the embodiment of evil but of course i still loved her. 


Kelly cat,  erstwhile stray,
Taken in to help a friend with a baby on the way
I was indignant,  judgemental -
A new baby doesn't rule out a cat!
Until I met her. 
All claws and teeth and hissing,
Arched back,  ears flat against her head
And that was on a good day.
She hid in tiny inaccessible places 
Sneaking out for food when our backs were turned.
Little by little she uncoiled her anger
A truce was formed between us, 
Not quite trust,  a beginning,
But try to catch her in your arms
She'd transmogrify back into a demon
Slashing deep scars with her scimitar claws.
As she grew older she mellowed,
Curl up on our bed,  allow a stroke or two,
Even on rare occasions purr a few times,
Before a gimlet stare warned 'enough's enough'.
I often wondered what had made her this way,
Was she born evil,  or had some unthinking person
Taught a deep distrust of humanity
Taught her to take us for what she could get
To be forever on guard with her dagger claws?



© Copyright 2018. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.



Comments

  1. Elizabeth Boquet15 April 2018 at 02:57

    It was a tough prompt but you made it work -- congrats on the poem!

    ReplyDelete

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