Elevator

Elevator

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter" /> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" /> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" /> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" /> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:336pt; height:204.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/CLAUDI~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.png" o:title="Centered" /> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->

I could breathe fire within a heartbeat. While the

Whole world seems to be inside this moving vault,

Slowly falling into bedlam-

I am an outcast of sorts,

Though the center of this small but enormously frightening universe.

Eyes to the right of me, and

Bulging and bloodshot are those to the left of me.

All thieves of my identity, they are, and

Pilferers of my innermost thoughts,

Penetrating my brain.

Avid mind readers house this space.

Inside of this sinking box,

My pupils dilate with fright as their surrounding eyes

Penetrate my gut, and their

Sharp tongues are lashing out at me.

In all honesty I can say I am terrified.

When the doors slide open and are unlocked with a phantom key,

The first to exit, I breathe a sigh of relief, though only for a moment, as

I have just stepped into another world more threatening,

Lacking even a corner in which to hide-

The summer’s heat sets my soul a fire,

No rain falls to snuff out the flame, and

Three billion sets of eyes toy with my thoughts.

As an outcast I can do none but stand alone, though with

No firm ground beneath my feet.

I can clearly see stars before my eyes, as the pain I feel is

The only reality that I am aware of now,

This world filled with artificial people

I cannot compete with, with their

Fancy jobs and phony lives-

Self-glorification is my only means of survival now.

If I could only grasp the moon, the sun or one of those stars

Before my eyes, I would, and

I would cry if the tears would come, but everyone knows that

Tears don’t fall from the heart of a burning soul

And it doesn’t rain in hell…

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

                                              Claudia Krizay