the spirit flees

by Kaitlin Kalk

“...the spirit flees”
In the coldness of Siberia
I lose all sense of feelings
like an animal
unable to see with his eyes
but for the great hunger
howling in his bowels.
Was it a monster
who feasted on evil and sabotage
and made decisions
with a crystal clear mind
of premeditation
or was it a child, of sorts
locked in a battle
of flesh for flesh
because his flesh
was starting to resemble
an abandoned residence.
And if the inhabitants have fled
can the discarded structure
accept full blame
for actions committed
by its empty head-quarters?

Welcome essay:
This poem is about what happens to the human spirit when subjected to a life full of trauma and an environment void of proper nourishment. Humans are a very adaptive species, and that one trait is the main reason we have been able to widely propagate the globe in such great numbers. Yet in spite of this, we are quick to blame the criminality of our fellow people on personal defects, instead of examining the environment which has led them to be this way.



Poet biography:
Kaitlin Kalk is a poet living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a life-long laborer of dead-end, menial jobs, which has slowly eaten away at her self-esteem and her belief in her own humanity. By writing poetry, she is able to find some meaning to her life and to recognize the inherent worth of her existence.