Samantha Harper's poem is spoken by a dark voice that seems to live inside the person it addresses. It opens with questions about darkness and heartbreak, then the voice introduces itself: it has always been "lurking," and its listener has always hidden from it. The title's "poem of hate" suggests this voice is a kind of hatred, perhaps one directed at the self, though the poem never says so outright.
The voice mocks, flatters and bullies by turns. It tells the listener that love is pointless, that others "HATE YOU," and that giving in "just once" would be easy. Its promise of power, watching the world "fall to your knees," is hollow bait. The line "You've done it before" hints at a cycle of temptation and relapse, and the closing invitation to "take my hand" feels more chilling than aggressive.
The mood is tense and claustrophobic. Capital letters, exclamation marks and short, pushy lines make the speaker sound like a voice that won't stop talking.