Iron clicks into place

Each night, a ritual of fear

Through peepholes we peer

At shadows wearing familiar faces

No dragons lurk in darkness

No witches brew our doom

The monster wears cologne

And smiles across the dining room

We are our own predators

In suits and sunday best

Breaking bread with danger

Trust wrapped in silk and jest

While wolves run in packs

And lions guard their pride

Humans build walls higher

With family locked inside

Nature's creatures band together

Finding strength in numbers' law

Yet we retreat to concrete caves

Behind doors with triple locks and all

The irony of evolution:

We created civilization 

Only to fear its architects

Our mirrors hold our damnation

Each handshake holds a betrayal

Each smile masks a bite

We've learned to fear our likeness

In broad and brilliant light

The heart of human nature:

A paradox of need and dread

Yearning for connection

While fearing to be fed