Repressed Desire

No one must know, It must be shielded, It must be stifled, The storm must be cloaked. His father must not get wind of it, It would be a shame, His mother must not be told, She would be troubled. It mustn't be heard of a minister's son, A clergy's son should be an immaculate vessel, A typical example of a lamb and a dove, Even though the tempest is pulling him apart. He decides to deal with it himself, To wrestle with his demons on his own, To quest with his inordinate affection, To tussle with his same-gender pull. It was a ferocious battle, He cried every night, He asked himself so many questions, He felt like escaping from the world. He stumbled on a magazine, It had an article that talked about his struggles, He read about people that had similar problems, It was a huge relief for him. It told him that having such a desire doesn’t make him bad, But carrying out his desires is where the problem lies, He was told to meditate on God’s Word and keep on fighting, For victory lies at the end of the tunnel. This he did and found respite, Despite the turbulence. September 11, 2022. Pick - A - Title, Vol 32 Poetry Contest, Edward Ibeh.