Caged

Compacted urges; neatly squared and tamped down,

catalogued and sterilised; vain attempt to domesticate.

Shadow destructive to status quo, necessary to subjugate, 

self cast in conflicted role; both prisoner and willing jailor.

Desires volcanic; momentarily dormant but not extinct,

threatening eruption; nonchalant to destruction manifest.

Perhaps moment of rapturous release worthy of aftermath

...or catastrophic misdeed that will resonate to sunset.

Composition only speaks to blandness; artist constrained,

expression heavy; own thumb blindly pressing on the scale.

Which master is served by trailing foot on the brake?

Calibration of future regret, perhaps only true guide…