Descent

Descent

Far below me the fire rages
as waves of heat begin to
close in around me
making breathing labored

falling…

The tips of my hair curl
my throat like sandpaper
lips become dry and cracked
the sickening sweet odor of
burnt flesh fills my lungs

falling…

screams of agony pierce my ears
the unnatural shrilling of
neglected elderly with sores of maggots
the mother finding her
child floating face down in a lake
an innocent victim of war
left in two halves
as vile visions flood my mind

falling…

I plummet into the flames
my hair consumed in a flash as
my eyes melt from their sockets
and skin peels from muscle,
muscle from bone
bone turning to ashes and dust
leaving only my awareness

falling…

Profound shame, rejection and sorrow consume
as I’m pulled into an ever dimmer, bleaker
boundless hell the sinister laugh of my master
begins to greet me

Thunder!

My body rocks the floor
the sleep fog begins to dissipate
as the cackling of my wife fills the air
and I’m told to hurry because
we’ll be late for church again