202208221306 In the Desert

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;

“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”

¹

There's an interesting difference in interpretation that can be made here. On one hand the poem could be a comment on the inherent sinful and corrupt nature of humans.² On the other, it could be emblematic of the individualistic freedom of humanity; the right for a human to choose the bad with the good, to own the whole human experience, the freedom to eat your own heart (202208221321 I claim them all).