Text of the Poem

I shall hate you
Like a dart of singing steel
Shot through still air
At even-tide,
Or solemnly
As pines are sober
When they stand etched
Against the sky.
Hating you shall be a game
Played with cool hands
And slim fingers.
Your heart will yearn
For the lonely splendor
Of the pine tree
While rekindled fires
In my eyes
Shall wound you like swift arrows.
Memory will lay its hands
Upon your breast
And you will understand
My hatred.

Footnotes

  1. The poem captures the visceral nature of hatred and its ability to linger and inflict pain long after the initial offense. Through vivid imagery and metaphorical language, the speaker conveys the intensity of their emotions and the lasting impact of their hatred on the subject.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  2. Memory is personified, suggesting that the memory of the speaker's hatred will haunt the subject, causing them to comprehend its depth.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  3. The speaker uses metaphor here. Hatred is depicted as a calculated and controlled activity, likened to a game played with precision.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor