I Don’t Mean to Bite

I am kind.
I am caring.

But I am not gentle.
Not quiet.
Certainly not pure.

I will devour. And I will consume.
I am selfish. I am greedy.

I will sink my teeth into the scraps you feed me, for I am nothing if not a starved dog.

My guilt does not wash the stains from my fur.
My guilt does not purify me. I desire violently.

I don’t mean to bite.

But oh- the blood. There’s so much blood…