Poem: The Shambleau

Inspired by the story by C.L. Moore.

The Shambleau

I am the Shambleau.

I ask too much,

And I want too much.

I need too much,

Feed too much,

On the presence

of Others.

I am beautiful and terrible,

My eyes glint in the gloom,

You know me better than you know yourself

Or at least you think you do

You reach out for me,

And you connect

Your mind shivers

You know you need me

And you know I will

Suck you dry.

You try to escape me,

But I cry.

So you stay,

Within your distance

You don’t want to make my beautiful eyes shimmer

So you tread upon my leather,

Leave yourself open

To me.

You think you’re free

You wander about your day

Autonomous and oblivious,

Until you come home to me once more,

And I draw you in once more,

With my strange brown frame,

Beautiful and confusing,

My eyes wide and waiting,

Your curiosity and desire peaks once more

You catch me

Off guard.

You should not have seen me this way.

Naked, bare,

You see the very thing I’ve tried to keep wrapped up

Sealed, hidden.

You do not understand what you are messing with.

And yet

You cannot look away.

You fear

You fill with fear for both me and yourself

You want to fix me

Save me

You want me to be clean and unblemished

You are wrong.

There is no way to have me,

Without me sinking my tendrils into you.

We both know, somewhere, it is far too late.

And then you are mine,

Entangled, ensnared,

I touch you, I ruin you,

My dark, wet secrets smother you, drown you,

You cannot see or breathe without knowing Shambleau, Shambleau, Shambleau,

Cannot speak or eat without Shambleau, Shambleau, Shambleau,

Cannot think or be without within Shambleau, Shambleau, Shambleau,

I was better off left alone,

Shambleau,

You were better off left alone.

When I am finished with you,

I am alone once more.

Wicked, and monstrous

Do not speak of me if you do not know,

Shambleau,

Shambleau,

Shambleau.