Eloquence

© 1998

A blessing!

A curse!

Most beautiful,

Most vile-

Eloquence!

It makes things pretty,

It persuades with ease,

It damns your soul,

It kills your dreams.

It deceives,

It haunts,

It sparks love,

It fuels hate-

Eloquence!

It lets you say something,

As though with your heart,

Yet a heart you have not,

For you gave it away in exchange for eloquence.

It eats,

And gnaws,

And fights,

And claws-

Eloquence!

It can turn a happy man

To sadness and anger.

It can destroy a soul,

But that you sold to the Devil.

It sins,

It burns,

It causes lust,

Within you it churns-

Eloquence!

And then when you're left without a friend,

It deserts you; leaves you marred and scarred.

And all that was once dear is gone.

Your heart, your soul, your mind-

All for Eloquence!

And perhaps

Mercy may come.

But until it does,

You're left alone,

Wallowing,

Struggling,

Without Eloquence!