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Poetry
Hatred
By Talisker
22 January 2007
I must post this, though I am painfully aware that it may appear to some that I have come back as JohnnyD, determined to preach some gospel or other, trite, pious etc...

Please understand that this is something I had to write because of some very difficult events in my life in the last few days.  It is a purgative, an emetic, verbal ipecacuanha - it probably has no merit whatsoever.  I must write it to move on, to come to terms with the fact that hatred has taken my family.

HATRED is a poison of the blood,
which gains ingress to the human
system by way of ears and eyes.

The antidote to HATRED is love,
but victims will resist treatment.

Within a short time, the HATEFUL
heart will blacken and go cold.

Tests will show an absence of
compunction, empathy,
forgiveness and humanity.
These “cells” are devoured by
HATRED.

HATRED is highly contagious.
Those affected by treatment-
resistant HATRED should be
isolated. 

Those who die of HATRED,
those desiccated souls,
whose last, mortal breath is as
bitter as hemlock, should
be cremated.

The ashes of a HATEFUL soul,
should be sealed in lead and
buried in a million tons
of concrete.

The half-life of hatred
is eternity.

Oli 22/01/07

Reviews
A reaction
Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3567 comments posted) 23rd January 2007
Even if you hadn't put that coda at the top it was clear that this was a personal piece of catharsis. Yes, it was raw and unpolished but taken out of context as ideas about hatred it was thought provoking. I'm not sure the antidote for hate is love; as love and hate are so closely connected, love can so easily turn to hate and vice versa. I thought the last line gave it some universal appeal. Surely the only way to deal with hate is not to be infected by it. 
cheers 
J

Written by fellpony (1717 comments posted) 23rd January 2007
It'll be very hard to review this fairly Oli, given your own explanation of the origins of it - so I imagine you won't get many comments. That won't mean that we are ignoring you, but more likely that we are holding our breath for an explosion to come ... 

Written by LynB (435 comments posted) 23rd January 2007
This is obviously a very personal poem, and I must admit I was moved by what is obviously an outpouring of feelings, which, correct me if I'm wrong, have probably been suppressed up until now. It's good to get it out - that way it won't fester and eat you up inside. 
 
I hope things get better for you soon, and I'm always just PM away. Take care. 

Written by rilLie (328 comments posted) 25th January 2007
very personal.. I do like the "victims resist treatment." feeling itnow...
Talisker
Written by Josie (2846 comments posted) 22nd September 2007
I didn't see this when you wrote it as I was away, but have just come upon it. I agree with you very much. There is something in hatred that is almost beyond words - so destructive and evil. It grows at a great rate, and one wonders how it ever starts. When you hear the news of children knifing each other - - where on earth can such hatred spring from? Luckily, hatred can be changed into love, but it takes a long time I fear. Better not to be infected by it in the first place. Very well written.

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