Tracing the origins of human hate
we wonder if this desperate state
is bloodborne
If our desire to hurt and maim,
outsiders who are not the same
is bloodlust
sparked within when we are born
from mother’s womb we’re cut or torn
in bloodbath.
To trace such origins of gall
we need our wits and wherewithal:
a bloodhound
who alone can trace
a spark of hope, in love’s embrace
our bloodline.
© 2021 experimentsinfiction.com. All Rights Reserved.
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
Written for dVerse
Grace hosts Meeting the Bar and has challenged us to write a ‘compound word verse.’ In this form, each stanza ends with a compound form of a noun from the title of the poem. As it’s getting near to Halloween, I chose the word ‘blood.’
Head over to dVerse to find out how to compose this form, and try it for yourself!
Experiments in Fiction 
Indeed… the thought of being born in blood and how we continue to hunt for that blood… maybe it is lust to maim more than any righteous moral that makes us do what we do.
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I think our morals must get perverted somewhere along the way sometimes.
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I don’t believe we are born to have human hate or have prejudices. I fully embace that spark of hope and love’s embrace.
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I like to think so too – we are all capable of love, and it is the one true emotion.
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Well done on the challenge Ingrid. I love that you chose the subject of blood. You did s great job with your poem . Human hate is taught and not a trait or something stemming from bloodlines. It us evident when you see children playing together. Race and color are easily acceptor the untarnished mind.
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I believe this too, Christine. Thank you for your comment!
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I don’t believe that we are born to hate or have prejudices. Bloodlines can be tricky but friendships have formed strongly despite it. I fully support this part: a spark of hope, in love’s embrace.
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A brilliant stem word you chose and utilised so well here, Ingrid. So visceral and imagist :-)
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Thank you Sunra!
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Just like collaboration is natural to us ( and has been the corner stone of Human sucess) , ostracism and segregation is natural to humans(though not a very pleasant trait) . This stems from the very basic need to explore and exploit the resources by our ancestors(not just homo sapiens), of which they had limited access or didn’t have the technology to effectively extract more. In these situations identifying and segregating anyone outside the clan or group become necessary strategy to survive. So yes just like love , hate is part of us . Humans are capable of showing great benevolence and also great malevolence 🙂… Would recommend “Sapiens” “Homo Deus” “21 lesson for the 21st Century” by Yuval Noah Harari … And also books by Dr Jordon Peterson ( I know I am going to start a brawl here, but I love his books and lectures 😁).
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It’s an interesting subject, isn’t it? Thank you!
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Yes it’s a interesting topic.. made me read all these books 😁😁
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If I ever get time, I will do the same!
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👍👍
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Blood is such a great word. So evocative, and so much to think about here, Ingrid!
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Thank you Merril! I was inspired by the season 😊
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You’re welcome. 😀 ☢️
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This is flawless, a smooth rocking of the prompt, and the message works well. My stanzas were all kind of disconnected from each, like pearls on a necklace. Your poem shines, and work well beyond the prompt parameters.
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Thank you Glenn, I do appreciate your kind appraisal!
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This is a really excellent example of the requested format. You manaaged to acquire a free and unencumbered flow.
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Thank you Beverly!
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Strong write Ingrid, and the strays from the form proved to be most effective deviations. Makes one wonder if some are just drawn in this hate?
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It is something to ponder: I don’t claim to offer any ultimate answer! Thank you Rob.
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Blood, and more blood, how do we stop the flood .. I think here, Melanie refers to wine as blood ..
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Thank you Ivor: the truth is I don’t know. Just posing the questions!
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Oh that’s an Ivorism’ … always posings questions, and not knowing the answers .. 🤗😏🤔
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An Ivorism – love it 🤩
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Your images send my thoughts in many directions. I like that you end with hope. (K)
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Thank you Kerfe: I thought it was the best way to end.
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Thought provoking verses, kind of makes me wonder about our DNA and what is really lurking in our blood. There is such a dichotomy to humanity but love is always stronger than hate! 💓
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I believe so, Tricia! Thank you 💕
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love this provocative and flowing poem … word flow, not the blood stuff!
hate is learnt behaviour deriving mainly from fear of the unknown … wonder if they could create a cure!
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I think we already have the cure: love and understanding!
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true .. love and understanding = kind care :)
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Exactly 😊
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Starkly imagined and conveyed, Ingrid, the blood imagery raised to ever growing consciousness of resolution needed and found finally in love and family.
pax,
dora
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Thank you Dora!
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What a great theme for this prompt. Clever and thought provoking.
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Thank you Carol!
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Profound meditations on the chosen theme
Much💜love
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Thank you Gillena ❤️
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Well done on the challenge Ingrid. I love that you chose the subject of blood. You did s great job with your poem . Human hate is taught and not a trait or something stemming from bloodlines. It us evident when you see children playing together. Race and color are easily acceptor the untarnished mind.
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Wow you conjured up quite a stir with Blood and Halloween I grid and met the challenges well. Sadly hate is taught not born into us. Nice job Ingrid! 💕
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Thank you Cindy ❤️ we need to unlearn all that hate!
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Very powerful indictment of what we have become. But I love how you ended it, Ingrid. ❤️
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I like to end on a note of hope! Thank you Punam 🙏
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You are welcome.
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This is so clean and punchy, Ingrid. You’ve picked a great subject as well. And a great stem word.
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Thank you Sarah: I realised before I started there were lots of possible variations!
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Hate is a learned toxic response to fear. We’re all born of love— In the image of love.
Hate is a learned mechanism born or fear.
That said, your poetry is spectacular in that it makes us pause and wonder how we got here.
Thanks for sharing. Amazing.
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Thank you Selma! What I’ve found interesting is how people have reacted to the poem and found different things that resonate!
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Art.
It’s all in the perspective of the beholder. Someone was right in the button with that observation.
Your poem is lovely. xo
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Thank you 🙏
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I don’t believe that hate is innate, but we start learning it from the time we are born as we see the prejudices of our family and our peers in action. Nice use of the prompt!
~Ornery Owl~
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Thank you! We do get very good at it very quickly, but I think we can also unlearn it.
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You raise a plethora of blood-related questions … beautifully. Blood the perfect “stem” word.
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Thank you Helen: I made sure to choose a stem with plenty of options 🩸
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Love how you traced this ‘blood” pathogen!
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Thank you Mary!
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This will come as no surprise to you, but this poem reminds me of a project my students did when I taught Macbeth. They had to “trace a word” and blood was one of them. 🩸 Engaging and thought-provoking poem, Ingrid.
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Such an important and integral part of ‘The Scottish Play.’ Maybe I’ll show the kids the animated version in the run up to Halloween…thank you Michele 😅
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Yes and nice job respecting a tradition of superstition. 😄 That is a bloody brilliant idea! 🩸 😆
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Of course I’m not superstitious about ‘The Scottish Play’ https://youtu.be/h–HR7PWfp0
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Hilarious! 😂 Thank you for sharing. 👏🏼
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A classic! 🤣
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That I had not seen. A funny scene indeed. 🎭
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Blood is a metaphor easy to overdo or over-dramatize, but you manage to avoid that and simply show us its universal quality, running through our species for both good and ill. I especially like the third and fourth stanzas.
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Thank you: I wanted a down-to-earth feel.
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Beautifully-written and meaningful, Ingrid! Hate may not be transmitted through the blood, but if it isn’t, it is surely learned early! I like your hopeful ending! :)
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Thank you Cheryl: we must always have hope ❤️
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