THE give up

The phone shouted at me, again.

I succumbed and answered.

God again.

Trying to sell me more magic.

No thank you.

Decided on sleep.

Dreams decided against.

Need a snack, ate your heart.

Couldn’t finish, too bitter.

Left.

Went right.

Became lost.

Deep in the crossroads of your choices.

Found the zoo, what a disappointment.

I found the tiger.

I fed him my soul.

He got sick, lost his stripes.

I tried to laugh with the Jackals.

But I had heard their jokes before.

I needed angles, rigid, hard angles.

(Not angels)

Library seemed cozy.

Hardbacks of paper cuts, rough edges squared off.

I took my time.

Swimming in the sea of printed words.

I spoke aloud about the fireworks in my head.

Talking to them about spiders, dynamite, and the rapture.

Escorted out.

Wrists felt heavier somewhere behind me.

In the back of their rolling cage.

I wished I had my soul.

I wished I wasn’t alone back here.

Slimy, warm, strong hand slithered into mine.

Looked into a split lipped snarl.

Burning, hating eyes.

Collapsed.

Disappearing down a black funnel.

Falling, falling, falling.