A Poem by Ahab Hamza

Psyche

Fear is septic
and reeks of something evil.  Sharp
rusty claws scratch in the night.
Joy and despair quite
fine and sweet.
About a lonely peak.
Love is fond in the tales
on a white knight's shield.
Pride has thin and
lovely feathers.  Hate is
incessant inferno almost ready
to die.  The seeds
of righteous anger are easily poisoned;
a snake oil salesman
rapist and murderer.  Uncle
Sam meat packing quickly.  A
hell-fire missile, two
degrees, a brown family
sees the cup empty, ignorant
the office worker sits
quietly, in his cell, tired.
His co-worker hidden
behind a luminescent screen
a message pops up again and again
irritating, infuriating.  Guilt
is the strongest, hate is
most torrid, apathy
is man's poison of choice.

Ahab Hamza is a university student born in Birkenhead on 27th November 1993.  He has been featured in the several publications including The Recusant's "The Robin Hood Book" anthology and the Spring 2012 issue of Inclement Magazine.  Most recently he has been featured in Kind of a Hurricane Press's Pyrokinection, the "What's Your Sign" anthology and Forward Poetry's "Love is in the Air" anthology of 2014.  He was also shortlisted for the 2012 erbacce prize for poetry.