Punchline

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have you ever felt as though
slipping through cracks
like your fate has been sealed
your bags already packed
your life a sick joke
your best efforts in vain
your expulsion from the table
already ordained
doth the walls
close in
old wounds remain open
cold hands grip your heart
no goodwill to their groping
see you that which others don’t
can you trust what you see
do you feel weightless
in the deadest of seas
are you sinking
overthinking
and is every one wishless
do your false moves feel labored
can you feel more than listless
can you feel at all
are you numb
nerve endings undone
by unthinkable pain
unimaginably blunt
does the force of this trauma
endorse the dull ache
is remorse on the take
as your guts twist inside
of course this would make for a discomfiting ride
terra firma deprived
by relentless landslide
does this lava burn
and in turn
are the tears which you shed
doused in kerosene
have they burned through the mezzanine
dripped into the atrium
bled out and spread out
like the wildest geranium
is the rising bile radium
acerbic and pungent
biohazardous sludge
on a trail of destruction
does your chest feel constricted
your airwaves obstructed
respiration restricted
suffocation instructed
are your cries synthesized
how aware is this virus
does it rough hand each scream
and strangle it silent
as it pulses within
are your impulses violent
not so passive this aggression
one of massive indiscretion
is this clinical depression
or mere cynical suppression
is it madness you court
how far through is its session
should you raise an objection
are you held in contempt
do you swear to the truth
the whole truth
nothing less
this custodial curse
is there hope of parole
or have the papers already been signed for your soul
can it not be annulled
is this harsh decree final
does your cell even have a urinal
can you stand the confinement
can you bear fluid time
as you rot to the bones
for this mystery crime
was there ever a choice
did you take the wrong path
entertain the wrong voice
and invite each trespass
are you thinking too much
or simply enough
to call out the very blindest of bluffs
stand the fuck up
spine straight
reveal incisors
sharpen talons
redress the motherfucking balance
stop searching for answers
you’re wasting your time
and right now you’re wasting the fuck out of mine
don’t just stand there nonplussed
use this stun to refuel
do something
be something
feel something
trust something
share something
own something
love something
stand for something
fall for something
die for something
as there ain’t much ado about nothing
look me dead in my eye and you tell me I’m bluffing
do you see the woods or purely the trees
could it be I’m just eager to please
a teacup of storms
or a blizzard of wizards
who could ransack your guts
just to string out your gizzards
I guess you won’t know
until I let go
release both my hands from around your pale throat
stand back
and wait
for as long as it takes
to fist fuck the stakes
and wake up
smell the napalm
and pour me a cup
stick around for the punchline
here it comes…