Caliban

"This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine."
-- Prospero, The Tempest

If I brought the beast in me before your eyes And bid you touch the pulse beneath its skin Would you feel the inkling dark surprise Of bonding, smile the smile that welcomes kin? Remember: Beast belongs in goodly company Of archetype and daimon, shares the table Equally with gods. Caliban is not to be If predators are locked in stables. Wholly human is half beast. In pain, Beneath your edifice of highrise floors Where paler angels chant correct refrains, A black rhino batters the black diamond doors. Those who cannot find the Beast and free It, love not me; nor, my darling, all of thee.

Joe Wrobel