Introspection

John Parkyn, 1961.

I see my face in a side-show mirror;
The twisted gargoyle with a cyclops eye
Leers back with sudden insolence
In an uncertain way.

This shifting mask of amused indifference
Reflects no deadly sins (not even Sloth);
With shutter speed I see our core,
A basic evil, no hint of love.

I pass judgment
Crying hatred greed or cunning;
But dismissal by prejudice thwarts realisation
Only temporarily.

Now god, any god, where is your wrath?
Strike and destroy this damning camera;
Yet the wrinkling image mocks me still,
And I turn away, defeated
By revelation, not fatigue,
Seeking solace in the antics of the monkey-cage.