The boy who cried revenge

"Revenge is a dish best served cold" are the words that kick off Kill Bill. And as you watch Uma Thurman hack and slash her way through her past to avenge the wrong done to her, you perhaps agree with the purported ancient Klingon saying (the saying actually goes back to at least the 18th century and was perhaps Afghan in origin). Anyway, I had written a poem some years back which had a line "the smell of revenge, sweet, ain't it sweet". So I suppose one could say I agree with the Afghan-Klingon saying too.

There are also the arguments about how revenge is not a good thing, about how it hurts the avenger too. I have never put much faith in this side of the picture, except when it comes to a few specific people. These few, I really would rather not get vindictive with, because well, I know how totally shit it will make me feel like if I did indeed manage to cause them hurt, distress or any of the other things that vengeance is supposed to cause.

So then, how am I supposed to react to something that I did not do when that something smells like it must have been me out seeking revenge? It is a bit like some mystery movie where someone commits the perfect crime and someone else gets caught and the someone else can't prove his innocence only because very strong motives can be ascribed to him. Much as I may savour the taste and smell of revenge, I refrain. And then, I get blamed for doing the exact things I pointedly did not do. And then, despite not doing anything vengeful, I still have to live with the taste of shit in my mouth which accompanies hurting one of those precious few.

So I often beat my chest in the past, talking about the wonders of vengeance. Now, it seems my words have overtaken my actions and it's perhaps time to stop beating the chest and making loud proclamations. One never knows where and how one will get persecuted for one's beliefs without even having any thought police.