'Violence' by Yemeni poet Adil Hossenally

I enjoyed this poem by Yemeni poet Adil Hossenally. I would assume that the author is Muslim, as Yemen has only a few hundred indigenous Christians. Nonetheless, as a Christian I appreciate his sense of wrestling against his own inadequate desires--desires that are so strong, but that don't tend, in the end, to life and hope and peace.

Read the poem, and say a prayer for Yemen, and say a prayer Adil as well:

Violence

Every inch of me is screaming for violence
Fists clenched and fire flowing bitter anxiety
I want to punch, kick and wrestle
Blistered bloody knuckle
Beat my knuckles
Pound some flesh

But I don’t want to hurt anybody
Least not myself
I want to fight this world and put it in its place
Yet I can’t even seem to fight myself
And its myself that beats me down
My own rusty halo is what cuts me
I can’t be good
Even though it’s who I am
I still hold on to the evil that makes me weak
I’m not who I used to be
Nor am I strong enough to be whom I want to be
I’m stuck somewhere in between
A place where there is no light
The darkest place I could ever be
And I’m about to lose this fight

Why do I cause myself to suffer in this life
Only to burn in hell?

HT Yemen Times.