Inspired by the story by C.L. Moore.

​

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.