Nemesis
He came back
Incongruous rage eludes me, “lover boy”
it snared you like quicksand, I quavered
you’re quelled and qua
our antagonistic future, implausible now
on the glaring surface, you radiate with
peerless perfection, testimony speaks for
superfluity of flamboyant self-destruction
and yet, your blameless cHeRuBiC fAcE
is entrapping
how can I hate your Hellenic skin?
🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Fault lines of unrequited fury, an animus
the wrath within you awoke something
dark in me
yet, my enmity is unnatural and aberrant
it’s borrowed, contrived, an ire imitation
only now do I recognize myself as you
mimicking such crimson chaos from afar
at best... what’s worse?
the penitent pleasure of deviance slows
I want you, I want your nocturnality
knowing erst unrest and Faustian largesse
🩸🩸 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Desideratum knowledge bows to ¿ hearts ¿
and yours, my Goethe, is ice
vices claw-mark your supererogatory soul
and as sickness seeps unto some pool of
heartbroken, crestfallen, vitiated
men wading through your wicked water
I veil my Valentine eyes
the seduction, the surrealism, the synergy
sight was a false prophecy, I know it now
YESSSS I feel it now, consequence is king
🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Sequences of my Mephistophelian acts (!)
play by beneath play-by-play paradise yoke
I’m no longer pretending
you notice my enkindling and as the fire
incinerates inflections of innocence, we
bind, licentious linkage, love?
kingdoms of riven rivals kneel before us
you yearned for this, I learned for twine
so be mine
seraphic-shaped puppets dance as we pull
their
⠀⠀⠀pretty
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀little
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ strings.
(c) Edward Swafford 2026
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About the Creator
Edward Swafford
Hello! I'm an Australian writer and healthcare professional. I've written on Medium for over two years, run Black Coffee Creative on Substack (over 1000 subscribers), with select work published in lit mags 😴.
Edgy syntax is my bailiwick.
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More stories from Edward Swafford and writers in Poets and other communities.
A Visitor's Guide To Victorian England
A Book Review Being interested in all things Victorian, I am constantly looking for books on the Victorian Era. In fact, I should admit that I am obsessed about ‘all things Victorian’. From the clothes worn by men and women, rich or poor, to how they lived, where they lived, what they ate and would (or would not ) drink, what kind of transport there was, who worked where, who went to school (and who didn’t), the list really is endless.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff3 days ago in BookClub
Comments (7)
Outstanding!
Phenomenal writing! So captivating! Love your word choices too! This feels like a winner! Thx 4 sharing!
Nothing short of outstanding work, Edward! I do not think you need my predictions for this piece, as the content speaks for itself! 🔥
Wow, this is intense and beautifully chaotic. I can feel the push and pull of desire, fury, and fascination in every line.
I love the rhythm of this! So hypnotic :-)
Edward! Again and again. I realise I’m at risk of becoming boringly repetitive, however. Your words. The flow and pace. The placing-of-me there, wherever “there” is. Thanks, as usual. Brilliant. As usual. ✨💖
You talk about "entrapping"! This is that! The rhythm has such a great cadence. I had a tune that surfaced in my head as I read this. It has a driving beat. And your eloquence is masterful! Don't expect any praise that will come close to your way with words, sir. I find your analogies breathtaking. And yeah. As always-- your photos are a perfect match for your provocative, evocative words. I'm a fan of the surreal and I love this, Edward. ⚡💙 Bill⚡