Recoil

The gods are not kind

they will grip you like a bottle

in a bar-room brawl

to break over my head 

which I doubt either of us will enjoy

although we may come to our senses

they will snap your desires, your emotions 

like kindling to build up the fire 

or extinguish the inspiration 

you had just managed to light

with your trembling hands 

so that it winks out 

just when you try to grasp it 

they want us to grow

and they want our resilience

and our strength 

to be forged out of our flaws

that is why they pull us 

out of the pit and then 

plunge us in again 

over and over

the gods are not kind

they are not interested in 

whether you are good

and the more they caress you

or touch you gently 

the more you had better

watch out

because the recoil

in their action

is something fierce.