In the Blood

He gazes at the coat of arms
All those talons clutching swords
Sharpened beaks and beady eyes
The symbols of his family name
Emblazoned on a shield
Built to withstand the winds of war
But a trap for souls within

He picks up the family curse
Recalling hairline cracks
Father, mother, sister, brother
Friction, dysfunction and shards of love
Congenital disorders on the rise
In attack formation as he turns gray

He slowly averts his gaze
And feels the remnants of tradition
Mood swings, delusions, booze and drugs
The dismay of crumbling bones
All this and more he acknowledges
Then deems it a day
A doze beneath the coat of arms
But dreams and nightmares do their dance
Until the broken dawn
He wakes up and can't complain
What the hell, it's in the blood.

Artist Jeanette Seebohm