I see you through a child's eyes,
A monster behind a father's disguise,
Charcoal was your heart, blood black as night,
Humanity's face forever out of sight.
All I wanted was your love and affection,
Your encouragement and protection,
But neglect and abuse were all I ever knew,
Physical and mental, it came natural to you.
Mother didn't protect me from your monster inside,
Drugs and alcohol were her only ride,
No surprise then that I grew up empty within,
Residual memories of violence and sin.
Animals brought me comfort by the age of school,
Though my interest by some would be seen as cruel,
My fascination with dissection I couldn't hide,
Because I didn't wait until they had died.
Solitude was my one real friend,
With other kids I didn't really blend,
Awkward occasions when I had to engage,
Left me angry and full of rage.
A girl in my street she tried to speak,
Asked me to come play hide and seek,
I hid her that well it took plenty of time,
For her remains to be found in a bed of lime.
I'll always remember that first game I played,
The feel of her skin as I slipped in my blade,
That rush of excitement at seeing the blood,
Fading light of an innocent childhood.
© A S May 2017
A/N
This is a prequel poem, it goes some way to explaining how the Shadow Man became the killer he did.