February 23, 2026Poem
A dry mouth startle
lossnaturememorytimeidentitymortality
A dry mouth startle
Of confusion
Darkness
Thicker than molasses
Eyes rolling back in
A silent scream
Helplessly discordant
Somnolence
Dissolving
In a welter of splintered
Images.
An old hag
With spindle fingers
Raking his shoulder
Dragging him back
In a scatter of pills
The cold slap of skin
On marble
A dangerous
Journey.
A negotiation
Of unfriendly spirits
Shadows deeper than
Oceans
Pulling him under.
The spell is broken
The thrill is gone
All he has left
Is a sprinkle
Of memory
Fading with the night.
Sleep is capricious
Perhaps it will be restful tomorrow
If only it had been
Today.