Because the Gods Left Me Powerless
David B. Prather

I want to be ruthless—a bad guy,
a villain—the antagonist who doesn’t think twice.

I want to be Darth Vader,
lay waste to everyone who’d ever hurt me.

I want to be Dr. No
with the will to bring down nations, more island

than man, more steel than flesh.
I want to be clever as Keyser Söze, one of those

usual suspects who betrays everyone
by appearing weak, affecting a limp

and making up stories from a few scattered words.
I want to be Captain Hook and Count Dracula,

Bill Sikes and Sweeney Todd.
I want a name that will go down in history—

a name, when spoken, leaves bitterness
and bile upon the tongue.

I want people to think I had a brother,
and I struck him down in the shade of Paradise.

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David B. Prather’s Comments

I think of myself, mostly, as a good guy—friendly and nice until I am pushed too far. Writing this poem was a way to reimagine myself as someone who chose a different path, someone who takes what they want without fear of repercussions and consequences. And as a bipolar man, I’ve always known the extreme duality of most people’s personalities, whether they wish to admit them or not.

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