Linda M. Crate- Three Poems

just another soowon

i know you're so clever
always catching the eye of the
crowd
the masses all follow you
your charm and charisma ooze
prince and savior and white knight,
but you are a black knight;
i won't stop saying it
until the whole world knows that
truth—
perhaps, you thought i meant batman,
but let me make it clear
even darth vader
wouldn't shake hands with you;
you're just another coward
hiding behind a crown
just another
soowon
when the world needs another hak.



villainous

perhaps you think your weakness
makes you human
and maybe you're right in that,
but your cruelty
makes you
a monster;
the way you slap away anyone who wants
to love you and build oceans of
distance
simply to protect yourself
an island of emotions and desire you can't
hope to tame
a wild beast threatened by his own
wildness—
i don't pity you
because you shunned my humanity
so feel the fangs of my monster she's a scarlet
dragon, wouldn't you know?
you told me that you loved my red hair,
but i think that's all you loved
once you said that
you loved me;
but you killed my spirit and crushed my hopes
and dreams—
you are a villain, soowon, nothing more.



scarlet dragon

i threw away all the gifts you gave me
even my raven faerie that i loved
because i wasn't going to
give the past wings
to my future,
and while you will always be a part of me
in some small way
there's no reason for me to always
recall
the most beautiful parts of you;
i need to remember the darkness in your eyes
as you shattered my dreams
so i can recollect
the pain and the tragedy and the anguish
i never want to endure again
so i can better
recognize predators like you—
you were charm and charisma and a twinge of imp
until i gave you everything you wanted
then you discarded me so quickly
as if i were trash,
but don't worry;
soowon,
next time you see me i'll be on the wings of a red dragon
taking back the kingdom that is mine
you can have my dreams
no longer.