The real monsters

by Geoffrey Hart

Previously published as: Hart, G. 2023. The Real Monsters. P. 43 in: Polar Borealis 25. April 2023. https://polarborealis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/POLAR-BOREALIS-25-April-2023.pdf

Virgins:

Tasteless, unseasoned.

Still, you persist,

Vainly sacrificing youth’s bright promise,

When mature women are so much tastier, really.

Think that by pacifying me, you keep evil far from your cozy homes?

You should pause instead, reflect on your intent.

You’d see the real monsters

Behind your eyes

Selfish, fearful:

Collaborators.

Author’s note

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each new number equals the sum of the two previous numbers. A classic Fibonacci poem counts syllables per line rather than words per line, like in other forms of syllabic poetry. A Fibonnacci poem is usually symmetrical around the longest phrase, after which the lines count down backwards through the Fibonacci sequence. In these poems, I’ve created a slightly different form of Fibonnaci poem, based on the number of words instead of syllables. I’ve also slightly modified the sequence for the sake of symmetry. The resulting numerical sequence is (with 0 words implicit as the pause to breathe before beginning and as the silence at the end of the recitation) 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 words, then reversing to 8, 5, 3, 2, and 1 words.

I was going through a dark period when I wrote this (witness Fast Track, which appeared around the same time.) But I think we need to be reminded periodically that we can't blame everything on "monsters" and disavow our own responsibility.

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