You must create something elaborate
Twirling your fingers around like ribbons
Weaving together magic and wonder
Gliding gracefully, this is your stage
You are alone in the light, with yourself
Wearing robes of imagination & frivolity
Sliding across, dancing a beautiful dance
You're not paying attention, swallowed by your mind
You don't notice what is slowly creeping from behind
Dark robed figures inching up towards your back
So many, with masks of clay and paper mache
Painted ****** red and black
With hollow eyes and hunched over spines
Each with a grisly word painted on their chests
Each reads something different, something awful
You have to keep yourself busy or you begin to crumble
So you don't notice what they say, you don't see them
Life
Poverty Religion
Time Anxiety
Destitution Fear
Loathing Reality
Age Conscious
Bitterness They circle around you Critique
Past As you twirl Loneliness
Depression Insanity
Hunger Intoxication
Emotion Death
No Hope
You never see it coming.
And you are swallowed whole
A
DARK
DOWNWARD
SPIRAL
BADUMP
BADUMP
BADUMP
The only sound
Your heart beating
AS THEY CLASP THEIR BLACK HANDS
AROUND IT & TUG YOU
DOWN
DOWN
DOWN
down
down
d
o
w
*n
© Amara Pendergraft 2013