Life Is Hungry Poem by Cedric Harris

Life is hungry. She must be fed.
We are bound and our roles are concrete.
Day by day and night after hollow night
We sing the same song of despair.

In the darkness, I try to prepare.
I plan for the coming days because I forget
She’s grown particular in her old age.
A picky eater; my best-laid plans lay in ruins.

She is hungry. She must be fed.
Time is of the essence and on the menu.
Its precious blood is on my hands
In jest; for sport; for no reason at all...

Only now do I realize my mistake.
Youth is the father of the infinite and the false immortal.
Time slips away like water through the gambler’s fingers.

I never knew it could leave until
I saw it walk through the door, never looking back.
I never thought it would leave until
I heard the car door slam, never to reopen.

For you see, time is of the essence and on the menu.
Its precious blood is on my hands
In jest; for sport; for no reason at all...

I’ve delivered the death blow over and over
And over again tonight... for her sake.
I’ll take the carcass of my sweet time
And I’ll season it as best I can.
In our final moments together, I’ll step back
And admire the plate and its contents.
I’ll whisper a silent prayer of thanksgiving and repentance
Before she snatches it away...
Life is hungry and she must be fed.