Metamorphosis

Sonnet © 2020 Matthew de Lacey Davidson

Image PD: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Destruction_of_Leviathan.png

Possession of an object gives a child delight:
see the smile, the sense of wonder, eyes
which widen. Joyful noises as the prize
approaches. Reaching with both hands, despite
the possibility of danger (great or slight).
Nuance has no role when in this deep blue sea.
Simplicity. Corporeality.
Innocence has not yet learned to demonize.
When the baby’s grown, a different person’s seen;
hatred, stealing, killing — actions which appall.
A monster stands where someone else has been.
How do some Survivors find the wherewithal?
Circumstance provides the most Pavlovian response:
confusing needs with shallow wants.