An Addict

by Jensen Payne

September 19, 2019

Of darkness he grew tired -

his Dark World, not enough.

Forsaken in a land of shadow,

he longed for morning's dusk.

His heart was filled with sorrow

though his people loved him so.

All he wanted was to feel

the moon's velvet, argent glow.

He called his hounds to fetch

the light he could not have.

They chased the moon, the sun -

they tore the sky in half.

They bit the sun with grit

as it burned their mouths to hell.

They vowed to perservere -

even the moon they tried to quell.

Alas, they left the moon and sun

with tails between their thighs.

They returned bashfully to their master,

guilt and anguish in their eyes.

They watched his hope fade away,

replaced by bitter ire.

His yearning turned to avarice

and a dismal change transpired.

He demanded satisfaction and

though they could not contend,

the dogs departed his Dark World,

off to try again.

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Comments (1)

Jensen PayneNov 25, 2019

<p>Hi! This poem is about the Korean mythical beasts "bulgae" or fire hounds. They reside in the Dark World which was one of many heavenly kingdoms and were sent by the king to bring the sun and moon back to him so he could make his kindgom less dark. However, they could not complete the task he had given them because the sun was too hot and the moon was too cold. Their failure made him angry so he continued to send more bulgae even though they continued to fail. This story is believed to be the reason for the lunar and solar eclipses during which the bulgae are biting the sun and moon, trying in vein to bring them back home to their king.</p><p>My modern take on this Korean legend turns the king into a drug addict. A young man is surrounded by darkness - depressed with no where to go. He feels utterly alone even though there are many in his life who love him dearly. Stuck, he is desperate to bring light back into his life in any way he can. He asks his parents for money after he starts a drug habit to keep the darkness at bay. One day, they refuse to give him money. His anguish transforms into seething anger and his parents give in, not knowing what else to do. They've become slaves to their son's addiction and can do nothing more than love him the way a dog loves his master. </p>

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