Werewolf
Ruby Hentoff
Ruby Hentoff (she/her) is a junior dual major in Creative Writing and Playwriting/ Screenwriting. She is a multi-disciplinary artist who writes fiction, fantasy, plays, screenplays, songs, and musicals, often exploring themes of family, interpersonal relationships, and morality. When she’s not writing, you can find her singing, acting, nerding out over musicals, or skateboarding around campus.
So you’ve let a werewolf in!
To your house, nonetheless. Dear, did you not see its claws? Its flashing fangs and mangled tress?
Oh, but it’s still human.
Were those your words, or its? Your reasons will be useless
Once you’re shredded into bits.
It was eloquent, you say
That’s the most dangerous kind. They’ll worm into your empathy And comfort your mind.
They’ll make you cups of ginger tea And carry it to your bed.
They’ll visit when you’re sad And respond to what you said
About your heart disintegrating At the girl who turned you away. You’ll hand over your deepest agony And the werewolf will pledge to stay.
It’ll commiserate with your pain And swear to never do you wrong. But night rips their disguise
to expose what’s there all along.
“Its human heart will keep you safe?” Wait.
You think its love is pure?
Oh, don’t tell me this one has a heart! Quick, shoo it out the door!
It’s embarrassed by its coat
by its terrifying face
but that’s not why it cowers!
It’s the heart it wants to erase!
Cause when its heart begins to throb
For the same girl who sparks yours,
It says nothing at first.
It idles and ignores.
But its heart will heave and shake
Even though it never should!
It will yearn to remain your friend.
It will yearn to be good.
The same monster you welcomed in
To your arms and soul
Will deny its traitorous heart to try
To keep your happiness as its goal.
It’s not the animal you should fear
Those can be tamed.
But when a lustful heart’s attached
To a soul already so ashamed
Then do you think it’ll choose you?
Over the lust it shoves?
True werewolves only transform
If it means being loved.
When the girl of your desires
Gives the werewolf a courting hand,
It won’t turn her down.
After all, it’s what the heart planned.
Will the monster say sorry?
Better if it ate you whole!
That hideous animal side
Only played an amicable role.
You’ve met a werewolf, dear
But maybe who you saw
is actually a human
not a werewolf at all.
Why am I warning you, my friend?
Well, you may one day find
that this good friend of yours knows the werewolf. You could say I know it
like the flip side of my own mind.