Revenge
By John Herlihy

Emotions flare up with a life of their own,
Deep-seeded intrusions down to the bone.
Revenge will bring very little satisfaction,
On the contrary, it may inspire retraction.
Some injustice inflicted upon us unaware,
An evil stain’s permanence, lasting despair.
We want others to feel what we now feel;
We want to inflict on others something real.
Faceless, nameless, good sense gone awry,
I gaze on another’s misery like a furtive spy.

I will repeat what I said just a moment ago,
To reflect the adage we reap what we sow.
Revenge will bring very little satisfaction;
Counter-revenge could bring its retraction.
It offers little comfort if vengeance be ours;
Such vindication lives alone in lonely towers.
Although it feels sweet to the sensitive heart,
Its aftertaste on the tongue seems a little tart.
If you pay people back with their own coin
You add insult to injury you wish to purloin.

The finger of Nemesis lies upon life’s drapery;
The dark folds conceal the shadow of knavery.