i will be no Elysian hero;

i shall be condemned
to a life wandering in
the Fields of Asphodel,
to walk aimlessly forevermore



i dread

that i will fall into a crevice
and tear the flesh
on my fingertips
in a futile attempt
to claw my way out
of the pit that holds

           every
living
manifestation
of the creatures
     that haunt me
                  in my sleep

i'll hold a talisman
tightly
to my chest,
so purge my mind
of these nightly horrors

and cleanse
my mind
again