Spiral of fate foreseen
A Vegas winning sure thing
A journey to realms beyond
Where those already gone
Traveled before I
With letters sent home
still left unseen
Wait, I'm not ready!
Is there another?
This train came too soon!
Excuse me,
I'll wait for the slow train!
Can I exchange my ticket?
For a later departure?
Perhaps tomorrow?
Of course tomorrow,  
Can never be!  
Round trip ticket please!
I wish to not be gone long!
I must return, otherwise,
who will care for the wee ones!  
Wait, I still must pack!
All my silver and gold
Can I bring?  
Is First Class an option?
A sleeper car?
Bring any friends?
My loved ones
should meet me
after reaching the end!
Must I board,
This train?
An evil angel at the controls
in the locomotive's cab
steam billowing all around
conductor in a ghastly robe
bearing the cutting scythe
leaning out the door
shouting out
to the platform crowd
"All aboard!"
"All aboard!"
this train
always runs on time
and no one ever
gets left behind
except perhaps a few
entering heaven alive
first stop is Sh'eol
all disembarking to wait
then chugging on to the
station with pearly gates  
those remaining aboard
catching a glimpse
then fast downhill all the way
to the end of the line
the last stop of Abaddon

©  2017 Jim Davis

Stella found a door in the new house
Hidden under the stairs from the adults
A door with a size so small for a crawl
At twelve midnight,
She was attracted to it
Drawn by the bright lights
That shone from within.

In she went, despite just being six
Into the cold narrow corridor
She found a lonely doll
With cheeks so rosy
And laughing eyes so blue
Out with it she crawled
To bond with her new best friend.

From that day,
Mum had nightmares
And dad became prone to accidents
Elder sister almost drowned in the tub
And her brother fell from the tree house
But all the doll did was laugh and laugh.
A laughter she alone could hear
She was scared and slept with it no more

One day, while she was away in school
Doll springs out of her room
Frightens mum who rolled down the stairs and broke her neck.
Elder sister was choked by her own necklace
Little brother gouged his eyes out
Dad set himself and the house ablaze.

And when Aunt came to take her away
Not a second glance did she spare the hateful laughing doll.
Thirty five years later, in her new home
Her daughter, Annabel came running into the room with a happy scream
With the doll held up in her hands.

"Look what I found! I'll call her Annie!"
Taken aback, eyes wide with shock
Those mockiing blue eyes holding hers
Stella clasped the sides of her head
And screamed as the doll began to laugh again!
A laughter only she could always hear.
The doll was back!
To take her beloved family away
Again!

The ******* the bridge,
Always on a yellow blouse
And a white flowing skirt.
Never a night does she misses her spot.
Elbows on the railings
Hair fluttering as wild as the wind
Always obscuring her face from sight.

Every night, I wonder
Who is she?
Where is she from?
Why this lonely bridge?
Never seen her move a muscle
Nor utter a sound.
It was rather strange.

Until one night, I decided to chat with her.
"Hey" I called but no response.
She must be coy...
"Hey..." I tried again and approached her this time.
No response still.
Is she deaf?

I touch her shoulder and she turns
She gave a shrilling scream
And that was all I remembered.
In the hospital I woke
And when asked why I had passed out on a bridge,
I could give no response.
I was cold.
The memory brought nothing but pure terror.

For how could I tell them
That the ******* the bridge
Had no face?
Yet she had always gazed down at the flowing stream below
And she had screamed right at me with no mouth on her empty face.

Anytime I walk on the bridge
Her spot is always empty
For she's forever gone
But I still have this wary feeling
That she watches me from the shadows
With that faceless horror
Waiting to take my face for hers.

Maybe it was my ball passing
-with a turning sound-
They build the walls
and you will grow up she said
With a soft hair
She didn't understand the wind
She thought she was not being loved
Maybe they don't love Jasmines
The dolls are naked
They want mommy
I didn't like their laughs
Why are they laughing at me ?
Clowns do not laugh
Angel does not need any help
I want eyes
Wearing eyeshadows
Wearing mascara
They don't have tears
The world not have tears
Where's mom ?
Maybe she doesn't love me
She was telling stories as she
was hanging the clothes on the clothesline
My sister was there
The Eglantines go to bed soon
I'm scared
The angel didn't ask for help
I wish there was someone who hears my words


شاید توپ من بود که می رفت
-صدای قل خوردن داشت-
دیوارها را کشیدند
و گفت : تو بزرگ خواهی شد
موهایش نرم بود
باد را نمی فهمید
فکر می کرد دوستش ندارند
شاید یاسمن ها را دوست ندارند
عروسک ها لختند
مامان می خواهند
از خنده هاشان خوشم نمی آمد
چرا به من می خندند
دلقک ها که نمی خندند
فرشته کمک نمی خواهد
من چشم می خواهم
سایه بزند
مژه هایش را
فر کند
اشک ندارند
...اشک نداشته باشند
مادرم کو !؟
شاید دوستم ندارد
وقتی لباس هایم را
زیر آفتاب پهن می کرد
!!! قصه می گفت
خواهرم بود
نسترن ها زود می خوابند
...می ترسم
فرشته کمک نخواست
من می خواهم کسی باشد که حرف هایم را بشنود