Today I faced a monster

Today I faced a monster
Who bared his sharp teeth and claws at me
Who ripped the flesh of my brother
And drained the blood of my sister in the street

I faced his loud roar
A putrid stench of hatred drenched me
My eyes burned tears of blood
My skin crackled and blistered

I faced his blank gaze of a thousand malevolent eyes
As he tried to pierce his way into my soul
I felt fear I had never known envelope me
A cold the depth of which can only exist in the darkest farthest reaches space and time
Where consciousness absolves into blissful oblivion

The abyss beckoned me
“You do not have to face this monster”
“Submit to him and I will keep you safe”
“Submit to him and I will free you”

A sudden flash of light renders me momentarily blind
A thunderous boom jars and dislocates my bones

My vision returns
And I return to my body to find that I have taken my eyes away from the monster
He has unraveled his pronged tongue and wrapped it around me
It was his voice that had beckoned me
Lulled me to sleep

I AM THE SCION OF KUROSH! LION-HEARTED DAUGHTER OF IRAN!

With the fingers of my bare hands I tear his tongue off of my body
I lift my eyes to look back into the thousand blank holes before me

I realize that the fear that enveloped me was not mine but the monster’s
It is HE who is afraid
It is HE who is weak

I have allowed myself to be shackled by you
I have allowed you to consume my children
Through my fear of you I empowered you

I look down next to my shoe
Where the little monster with sharp teeth and claws and thousand blank eyes
Tries to bite my toe.

I bend down and flick this insect out the window.

Today I faced a monster
That monster was

My own fear