I have not slept in a long while, my eyes
Become a source of hallucinations.
Cats, large and white and black, stalk through the night
And follow me wherever I may go.
Like ghosts of fallen trees seeking revenge.
They jump out of buildings to startle me
Leaping from great heights like wingless gargoyles.
But still, I continue to march alone
At this meaningless pace from night to night,
These effluvial winters cannot win.
The stench of decay is all around us
Rancid carcasses lay beneath our feet
Waiting for the pre-agreed upon time
To break free from beneath the basement floors
To join the emaciated living
That had been left behind for so long
They cannot tell that those yellow fellows
Dining alongside them at the table
Are the source of the unholy odor
Spoiling the walls of their crystal ballrooms.
Secretly stealing their candelabras,
Chandeliers, teacups and spoons of silver,
Lost souls pay their way across the river