I grew spiritually fat living off the souls of men. <br />If I saw a soul that was strong <br />I wounded its pride and devoured its strength. <br />The shelters of friendship knew my cunning, <br />For where I could steal a friend I did so. <br />And wherever I could enlarge my power <br />By undermining ambition, I did so, <br />Thus to make smooth my own. <br />And to triumph over other souls, <br />Just to assert and prove my superior strength, <br />Was with me a delight, <br />The keen exhilaration of soul gymnastics. <br />Devouring souls, I should have lived forever. <br />But their undigested remains bred in me a deadly nephritis, <br />With fear, restlessness, sinking spirits, <br />Hatred, suspicion, vision disturbed. <br />I collapsed at last with a shriek. <br />Remember the acorn; <br />It does not devour other acorns.<br /><br />Edgar Lee Masters<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/robert-davidson/
