the night air is still,
so warm for the
end of winter;
the stars shine
with fiery hearts
far, far above me.

i feel waves of quiet
serenity run through
my body and mind,
and i shut my eyes.
the world is hazy.

i am here, inside.
the heaviness
of life shuts up
because i force it
to leave me alone.

but through my beautiful
silence crackles a noise--
a sound that cannot be,
a sound that should not.

my eyelids tear open
and at first, nothing;
but then, an anomaly.
dark, then darker dark.
impossible, i think.

i blink, but there it stays,
existing to spite me.
my mind must be
tired, worn; i look away.

my vision is unfocused
and out of control.
houses and trees
bleed together,
and spots dance in
my eyeballs.

when i look back,
i stare at this
impossibility,
and it stares
right back.

my heart pounds on
my ribcage like a
terrified toddler
screaming for
mommy.

and then,
the pressure lifts.
it is gone.