"In the desert" by Stephen Crane

Here is a short, untitled poem by Stephen Crane, a poem the theme of which is alienation. This short, untitled poem of his was first published in his first collection of poems titled The Black Riders and Other Lines (1895).

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter -- bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
"Because it is bitter,
"And because it is my heart."

Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

American writer