On Discovering Fangs

You singled me out
You weighed my depth
And saw weakness
Too bad for you

I prepared for serious battle
You are formidable
But pitted against me
A drunken circus bear

In a wink, I slashed you
You hardly knew it had happened
Until you noticed the blood

Stunned

Now you came again
This time with some respect
But still you had not learned

--I had not learned!--
What I am

Until you came for me
I never knew
Just how dangerous
How ferocious
I truly am

Gleefully I tore your body open
My claws loved ripping you
My teeth loved slicing you

Ignorant fool
What were you thinking
Coming after me

You thought that you had something to prove
You proved me to myself
I am a cruel monster
I delight in crushing you

Watching you drag yourself away
You pretend that you limp not
Pretend you have some dignity left

I laugh inside
I mock you
I am so much more than you
I laugh at your feigned composure

You know that I know
That you're overjoyed
To be free of my terrible jaws

Now I feel sad for you
Now I lose my will to attack
Whence happiness now
When savagery was my only joy

No, wait, there it is
It faded in my spasm of sympathy

I release you
Go, nurse your wounds
Now I am ready for all