AN UNORIGINAL POEM ABOUT FEAR Poem by Alexandre O’Neill

Fear will have everything
legs
ambulances
and the armored luxury
of a few cars

It will have eyes no one sees
cautious little hands
almost innocent schemes
ears not only in the walls
but also in the floor
in the ceiling
in the gurgle of drainpipes
and perhaps even (caution!)
ears in your ears

Fear will have everything
phantoms at the opera
ongoing séances
miracles
processions
courageous words
model daughters
honest pawnshops
naughty brothels
various conferences
numerous congresses
excellent jobs
original poems
and poems like this one
utterly sordid projects
heroes
(fear will have heroes!)
real and unreal dressmakers
factory workers
(more or less)
office clerks
(lots)
intellectuals
(what you'd expect)
perhaps your voice
perhaps mine
undoubtedly theirs

It will have capitals
countries
suspicions like everybody
countless friends
kisses
green sweethearts
silent
passionate
anguished lovers

Yes fear will have everything
everything

(I think about what fear will have
and I'm afraid
that's exactly
what fear wants)

*

Fear will have everything
almost everything
and all of us in our different ways
are bound to come
almost all of us
to rats

Yes
to rats