Restless Demon

There rests a demon deep inside,

silent, still — until denied.

It waits in shadows, biding time,

until its boredom turns to crime.

With doubt it whispers, cold and low,

insecurity begins to grow.

Unworthy thoughts like poison spread,

fear and loathing make their bed.

At first, I knew not what it was,

no name, no shape—just aching buzz.

Ignorance kept it soft and weak,

but silence let it start to speak.

Now wiser, yet no less afraid,

I see the games this demon’s played.

Tired of its same routine,

it twists my mind in ways obscene.

“Joy”, it mocks, is not your right,

but fleeting glimpses, tricks of light.

You exist to feed my fire,

your pain alone is my desire.â€

And so we war, this beast and I,

a battle fought beneath my sky.

It steals, it starves, yet leaves me crumbs-

a cruel mirage, a love undone.

Will I prevail? I do not know.

Perhaps it leaves when I let go.

Or maybe, when it’s had its fill,

it seeks another soul to kill.

Poem creative with the support of GPT based on a short story, “demon inside” by Brad Marendt (that’s me)