I walk through the world,

Through its walls

And hidden alleys.

I watch as each domino house 

Falls on its brother.

Mephistopheles is hanging over my bed

Waiting to strike a gloomy one 

Like me.

They walk over you

And your delusions.

They chew you up,

Spit you out

And hope you turn out alright.

They kill for sport.

They send you reeling with every

Maggot that zips out of their mouths.

They call the quiet ones dummies.

They call the timid ones slow.

You're rude if you're shy.

Every mistake

Is held under a microscope

And they study

Study

Study

You.

They're ready to

Pin you down,

Use you for their own pleasure

Then discard you like plastic to be reused,

Make you get lost in everything,

Letting you slip through the cracks,

Yanking you down the

Drain.

They watch you 

Writhing about in a 

Glass box,

And they never let you out.

Not even once to breathe.

Breathing, breathing.

The bleak reminder that

We are all here

And everything

Is really happening.

And in my mind, I stand  

In the present,

At the edge of my seat 

Awaiting the future, 

While the past still keeps a leash on 

Me.

Verbal vultures,

Dogs with glistening, pink gums,

Sink holes,

Ghouls in black cloaks,

Laughing jackals,

Foreign stenches,

Arid climates,

Bloodshot eyes retreating in their sockets,

Locusts post storm season,

Murky lights,

Twisted hallways,

Crooked houses,

Unfriendly friends,

Unfamiliar surroundings,

Walls closing in

And NEVER OPENING.

All stored in a lovely package

Of stammered words and 

The deafening desire to be free,

Clouding all reason.

All these things rising to the surface,

Stealing my air.

It straps me down to my bed,

Twitching in agony.

It washes me out till I can't see straight,

Till each muscle is torn beyond function.

Till I beg for the glorious day 

For clouds to part

And finally 

Release me.

I watch those domino houses fall 

On each other.

And this time,

I promise not to do anything.