“First Day on the Job”

This poem about Satan was a creative response to “Paradise Lost” for a class assignment in 1997. So even though it’s not great in retrospect, when is any high school poetry good?

First Day on the Job

“It’s only another day,” once said my love.
If only she could understand! I cry inwardly.
“Not true!” said I, to my beautiful little dove.
“In the past eternal, God hath haunted me,
And only now can I truly revolt for thee.”

Outside my house sat the great pit of fire,
That eternally burning lake,
Of which I was cast down against my desire.
But now my troops are massed,
As good as any previously surpassed.

Will my new realm,
My eternal house,
Receive me, its new helm?
With my revolt once dead, it comes anew.
I am ready, with an all new crew.

“Here me, God” I cry,
For I dost believe it so,
“I will defeat thee, even as I fry,
And starve here in Hell.
Maybe it’s time to ring a new bell.”

Now we have it.
Hell is my heaven, heaven my hell.
Free of God’s will, whose service I soon quit,
I now may take any Human I want
Either for eternal service, or to give to God a good haunt.

Reign in fire, or sign eternal?
Which was my desire?
To be forever nocturnal,
Or string a harp in broad light,
Even against my delight.

It seems judged, that God
Hath maketh me his enemy.
And gaveth me Hell, all with a nod.
He hath maketh a grave mistake,
For Hell hath receiveth its new King of the Lake.

Who beith the wiser?