Beware The Wolf Poem by C Richard Miles

Although we see those whining wolves which stand
Outside the door, or those which stalk the land
Now times are hard, and those, since we are wise,
That hide themselves in some sheep’s-hide disguise.

They hope we, unaware, are bound to miss
Their sleep-skin presence. Our response is this:
We like to think that we are fine and good
Detectives, unlike blind Red Riding Hood.

We spot them, rotten wolves which often lurk
So brazenly to do their craven work
At luring us to stray within their sight
Where they can pounce and take a fatal bite.

But there are wily wolves, my friend, which hide
And take their time, jaws open shyly wide
Which smile with guile and meekly reel us in.
And can we spot the inner wolf within?

Beware the prowling wolf that howls, “You can, ”
At the expense of weaker fellow man
And asks you to despise self-sacrifice.
He’ll sell your soul for gain; just name your price.

Beware the bawling wolf that bays, “You may, ”
And makes you break and take the lazy way
You would not choose to go if you could choose.
For this wolf bets your life: he wins; you lose.

Beware the bounding wolf who growls, “You must, ”
And forces you to cheat; he’s so unjust
For when you want to blame his urging for
Your acts, he barks. “It’s you who caused the war.”

But fiercer, keener, meaner, sneaky, underhand
Is that lone grey wolf, you must understand,
That tells you to do nothing, bids you sleep,
This is the wolf that gnashes gashes deep:

This is the wolf, the wolf beneath the skin,
The wolf that soothes, the wolf that sees no sin.
The wounding wolf of apathy, my friend,
Is yet the one that gets you in the end.