creeping fingers chill my flesh
making the nape of my neck recoil
and the hairs rise from their roots
my eyes itch behind the retinas
an all-encompassing vision
pounds within my skull
i realize i am not who i am
every knowledge accepted as fact
has been spattered and sullied
defiled by clinging self-doubt
left over right right over left
my comfort is replaced
by a weaning amnesia
the reflection is no longer i
the crossroads converge into me
i beckon a spark of recognition
to replace the darkness with light
closing my portals and wishing for Oz
i feel my senses stumble and fall
tilted over the borderline
eclipse breaks and i am reborn
basking in renewed spectrum
pounding ceases and gooseflesh calms
so-called enlightenment is betrayal
my own worst enemy i quickly cede
look from the mask to the mirror
smile and grind the old into dust
© phoenix mckenna 2000
