Anesthesia

“The Pain Inside” by WF Lishinski

sleep of a sort

induced chemically

tunnel of light

growing smaller

and smaller

the visible world

in extruded distortion

pulled thin through

a long slender straw

colors flowing

like liquid at speed

swirling tight

tiny rainbows

aswim with grim faces

that race along

moving too fast

to at last become

recognized

menacing laughter

accompanies

noise of machines

breathing in

breathing out

all the light now

reduced to a pinpoint

as somewhere below

knife and sawblade

are felt dully cutting

this body who

came here reluctantly

wanting no more

but receiving much less

than a far too long

truant experience

sweet painless peace

Delusion

“Hallucination” by Chris Butler

no evidence
no affirmation
just sensory truth

glim perceptions
exposing the
shadow and shape
of a skin-crawling
presence a haunting
unsure of its purpose

a messenger bearing
an unnerving glimpse
of forgettable past
or thinkable future

which is the real and
which the delusion

will fear sigh relief
or rise up anew upon
trembling haunches
to darken the dawn
of days yet to come

a much beset mind
picks its poison
arrayed in green vials
of grim pharmacopeia

fervid psychosis
hallucinates judgments
or figments of imminence

all that is left is
the choosing which
dread apparition
shall thrive as
persistent companion

*******************

(Inspired by the tragic life of Dr William C Minor, as chronicled in the book “The Professor and the Madman” by Simon Winchester)