pain ~~ you fall into it like a black bird's wing
sharp and hot, wing feathers rasp against nothing
heart hot, dark and burning

it swallows you, eats you up
you cease, totally, to be one thing

you crawl out, one inch at a time, howling
screaming, demanding death

you learn its nooks, refuges
one at a time
measure the measure against
your sanity
and pray it's enough




jjl
20September 2008