The Demon Knowledge

Location

God gathered the dust in his hand,

Formed his greatest creation.

He gave but one command:

“Knowledge is for me alone.”

 

God knew, of course,

That man would disobey.

Curiosity is a deadly force;

Its fruit is bittersweet.

 

Since Eve tasted the apple,

Or whatever it may have been,

The psyche daily must grapple

With the demon Knowledge.

 

 

What is worse than knowing?

I haven’t the gift of prophecy,

But I glimpse the future still.

A simple look inside is all it takes

To know just what will come.

A twisted, callous old woman

Lying in a young girl’s heart.

She cries for a dying world

And screams for her helplessness.

 

What is worse than knowing?

I know all the answers,

But I don’t know any solutions.

With a pen I can design the world

But still it crumbles down.

The most powerful man

Is weaker than a kitten.

I thirst for order, perfection,

Without hope of achievement.

 

 

What is worse than knowing?

I hear phantom voices,

Feel their every injury.

They call to me their savior.

I know what they need.

Maybe I know what to do.

Mostly I know I run amok

Chasing ghosts in the wind,

No strength for real change.

 

What is worse than knowing?

Knowledge wrings me dry;

Stinging droplets cascade,

Deposit salt crystals in my soul.

I can know facts, or people,

Or everything there is to know,

But Knowledge is only a curse.

 

I suspect that every man

Knows the demon of Eve.

We suffer as only the sentient can

While the universe quietly sleeps.

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741