Heart of Darkness: Conrad Poem

The Earth Seemed Unearthly
Fallaces sunt rerum species. Seneca

Flicker
In the overheated catacomb,
in the beastly dark,
a solitude was taking possession.
The immortals, discoloured,
with dropped eyelids,
thickened into slime and darkness.
The blind whiteness confounded
the dreams of men.
Gnawing
the last flickers
of a light within
the invisible wilderness.

Civility
Savage hyena in a bath of glitter,
moored to a game of dominoes, a merry dance of death for
Envy.
Admiration.
Glamour.
This papier-maché Mephistopheles,
under the pretence of progress,
rendered inhuman by primeval instincts.
An immense snake uncoiled.
Tin-pot imposter, harlequin.

Meat
The gnawing devils of hunger, the glow of fires beckoned
germs to the world.
Sand-banks, marshes, virgin forest.
Red gleams that wavered, bloodthirsty.
The paw strokes on bowels of the land
fetched a deep sigh
from the apple-pie earth.

The hippo will be butchered.
Gaped black.
Rotting.
Grass growing through ribs.
The Earth Seemed Unearthly (59)
Appearances are deceiving. Seneca

Flicker (7)
In the overheated catacomb (22),
in the beastly dark (118),
a solitude (31) was (26) taking possession (59).
The immortals (106), discoloured (73),
with (83) dropped eyelids (80),
thickened into slime (22) and darkness (117).
The blind whiteness (70) confounded (76)
the dreams of men (6).
Gnawing (69)
the last flickers (64)
of (115) a light (108) within (108)
the invisible wilderness (116).

Civility (71)
Savage (30) hyena (70) in a bath of glitter (49),
moored (80) to (80) a (80) game of dominoes (4), a (80) merry dance of death for (92)
Envy (92).
Admiration (92).
Glamour (92).
This papier-maché Mephistopheles (48),
under (27) the pretence (59) of progress (15),
rendered (131) inhuman (59) by (11) primeval (43) instincts (124).
An immense snake uncoiled (11).
Tin-pot (47) imposter (19), harlequin (88).

Meat (68)
The gnawing devils of hunger (69), the glow of fires (125) beckoned (15)
germs (6) to the world (129).
Sand-banks, marshes (8), virgin forest (48).
Red gleams that wavered (108), bloodthirsty (87).
The paw strokes on (69) bowels of the land (50)
fetched a deep sigh (42)
from the apple-pie (28) earth (21).

The hippo (68) will (67) be (67) butchered (67).
Gaped black (13).
Rotting (13).
Grass growing through ribs (13).