What is evil,

And who are those “evil doers”?

Oh, I know that evil exists

(if anything does), we have a word for it!

I know it in the gas chambers.

In my heart,

I know it is primeval.

Can evil exist in the mind,

Or does it need to be an action?

Can I hate my brother

But treat him well,

And escape?

Or may I redefine

And everything be just fine?

Evil sometimes hides you know,

Like in “devil”,

Or in a public display

Of crocodile tears

And a wail, “I have sinned”!

Or when we want

To bring the mighty low.

The pious say,”you know what’s wrong”,

(but it better not be different from us).

Is it evil for a child to die

At birth,

Or a man to end life

When suffering too long?

Perhaps to ask “what is evil”

Is evil?

Perhaps the good needs evil?

Perhaps the word is medieval?

Oh let me from this poetic upheaval

Seek wisdom in retrieval

Of primeval evil.