The Angry Man Poem by Edward Rhodes

The gentle smile which graced his placid face
Portrayed him as one blessed with true content
A reasonable man with few concerns
Such was the image that he chose to wear
And thus concealed, he waited silently
And watched the world, he knew it was unjust
But he felt the unrightness of it all
Those whose position renders them immune
Whose fame enables their dark histories
To hide in shadows, while authority
Denies such shade to humbler citizens
Thus he reflected on his high ideal
And his convictions, yet not these alone
Could fan the flames of his slow-burning rage
Beyond all proper sense of right degree
His disappointments also played their part
Cast doubt and disillusion on his thought
Obscured the hope that could direct his grief
Toward repentance, for he understood
His own collusion with the darkness, when
Desire and laziness did overthrow
His better resolutions. Yes, he knew
All this, and yet he did not comprehend
His worse offence, the anger of his dreams
Invented grievances, conceived in thought
And nurtured in his heart. Insanity
To hold such hate and anger, unprovoked
And misdirected to the innocent
For such made him unjust, worthy of blame
A fitting subject in his estimate
For punishment, and so above all else
His anger was directed at himself
Yet buried underneath the thin veneer
The portrait of respectability
Of this tormented, smiling, gentle man