sounds muffle together
television on in the dark
voices collapse into a ball of language
and image, rolling away slowly
a mess of light
growing small down the corridor
of sleep
head falls back with the next breath
and I am in the talons
of a Bird
whose massive wings span the sky
body a shimmering tapestry of stars
carries my mute consciousness
through the eye of an impossible horizon
removed from the actual physical
flesh dissolves to a net of loosely woven
formulas, the illuminations of which
spin like galaxies in void spaces
I am the universe contained
within my human self
sailing down the tornado’s funnel
breath as visible as smoke
memories arrive as faces, disembodied
speaking sense and nonsense
confused I chase after their fleeting presences
kick my feet, but
running feels like drowning
I am forced to watch them leave
taking their ironies and prophecies w/ them
the Spider comes for me now
the evil that waits at the center
of all things
my Demon, my Minotaur
I can feel the tendrils of its laughter
reaching for me
summoned by fear and accidental ignorance
sensing my weak
disappearing self
the bite is quick, the poison moves unstinted
escape becomes a maze without solution
there is no place now to hide
from those terrible, hungry, curious
eyes
huddled in a shadow
mouth cupped in hands, trembling
trying desperately not to breathe
a sound
hollow footsteps echo closer, closer
closer
I can hear myself screaming
© Emerys Watchel, 2017 All rights reserved.
