Violence deceives  
in the absence of love
masking a template
that fits like a glove

Destruction and madness
call from within
where lies have embedded
in footnotes to sin

Violence festers
in spirit deformed
to strike ever constant
those feelings unborn

Its petroglyph’s holler
from caves deep inside
marking the secrets
—we most try to hide

(Dreamsleep: June, 2023)