(note that illustrations and text in Reflection I are black&white; see Art Posters for full-color pictures)

A wire stretched tight

        around your neck:

                takes just a jerk

                        to sink through

                (Skin and blood vessels

                        sliced and severed)

                                down to the bone,

                                                        EMBEDDED.

And where would you be?. . .

        With no blood for the brain:

                an immediate dimming, then

                                a black silence

                (memories and thought,

                        consciousness

                                extinguished).

---Not knowing who

        had snuck up behind you:

        flipping that silvered coil

        over your head,

        and about your throat

                (held off to each side by

                peripherally-sensed fists,

                concrete-solid,

                immobile).

Any move to escape

        forcing flesh tighter against cold steel:

                a total loss of control;

                        an unconditional surrender

                                at the whim of the attacker

                        (Whomever she or he or it

                                might turn out to be).

How difficult to acknowledge:

        ---implacable fate,

        ---the fall of the dice,

        ---the turn of the wheel,

        ---the luck of the draw,

        ---the effect of free will

                        of others upon yourself.

Vomit rising (unbidden) into the mouth,

                tears into one=s eyes,

                                and piss into one=s pants;

                                                a pounding at the temples

                                                and roaring in the ears;

                                                flashing of white light,

                                                then expanding red haze. . .

        A MOAN leaking from between clenched teeth:

        AOh no!  Not now!  Why me?

        Oh Dear God Dear

        Sweet Jesus, help me!

        Oh Hell Oh Hell Oh Hell

        Damn Damn Damn

        Oh Nooooooooooo. . .!!!@

---Should have looked to the left

                when you swerved from your lane:

                a quick glance to the blind spot

                                (a mere moment in time

                                to peer backwards,

                                and off to the side)

                might have saved you

                                from the CRUNCH.

---Too much in a hurry,

                too much in a rush,

                        to pause before continuing

                                past that suspicious group:

                        And them looking with such envy. . .

                                at your suit and watch

                                        and wallet and life.

---Too anxious to Ado it@

        you couldn=t wait for something reasonable,

        but eagerly took the plunge:

        hoping vaguely the savage currents would

        only a joy ride be to

        clear, cool, tame pools. . .

                (a relatively safe amusement-park thrill)

        but instead found a DROP

                (dizzying weightlessness)

        to wet, hard boulders

        with no yield for soft flesh.

ADon=t. . . Please! . . .@

        you manage to whisper:

                knowing full well that the answer

                        will not be influenced

                                        by your despair.

But the fists open!

The wire drops away!

And you drop forward,

nervelessly falling to your knees;

your hands up at your scarred neck. . .

Senseless with relief!!!

While behind you:

        heavy footsteps casually retreat,

                a door opens then slams. . .

        But not before

                an evil laughter fills up the room:

                        ASee you later, sucker!@

                                Promises a return:

                And you accept totally---

                        without question---

                                        its implacable reality.

Maybe not today nor tomorrow:

but without fail... soon

that slim deadly wire

will one last time settle around your neck,

paying its final visit. . .

Leaving white frozen face

and bulging eyes

over red-stained, motionless clothes.

                But between the Athen@ and the Anow@:

                you acutely perceive an interval---

                suddenly TANGIBLE and VIBRANT---

                filled with realizable POTENTIAL

                and delicious PROMISE.

And between the retching and the gasping

you pray to your God---

as sincerely as you know how,

as forcefully as you can---

        APlease don=t let me...

                                        forget!!!@

                                                                                        *

REFLECTION I, SIGNIFICANCE Art Posters    SELF-DEVELOPMENT Art Posters  

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