Medusa

 

Broken pieces of granite,
Like discarded toys,
Litter my circumference.
I step forward,
            Like a virgin
To the sacrifice of some
Cruel God,
And turn my ankle on those
Pieces,
Which I thought were nothing
But now see are more.

An arm, a hand, a fragment
Of face
And I know these are not
Relics of an ancient race,
But the remains of some
Poor traveller
Turned to stone by
Steely eyes
And
Frozen heart.

I stagger back and feel my heart beat
Pound as steely fingers
Clasp my arm.
“You dare to enter and not even knock?”
A mocking sound, more hiss
Than voice,
As strong arms lift and
Turn me nearer
To my source of fear.
I kick and push,
Away from Death’s own Siren song,
And fall through air
Now thick with dark.

No sound assaults my ears
As bedclothes wrap round
Limbs
Now slick with sweat,
That fight and kick against
The heat.
My eyes snap open then,
To seem as though
I wake,
Though no sleep have I taken.

Bare walls
And empty space beside me
Call and scream
Their muffled anger at my
Fate,
While sharpened claws
Relive their own creation and
Continued life
Upon the path that does
Not deviate;

Twixt heart and
Soul and
Damaged mind.

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© Fionyac