The Crimson River

I’m in that dark murky world again

The one with the deep crimson river

Syrupy on my skin as I swim to the shore

I struggle to pull myself onto its banks

Because the liquid is so warm and friendly

Clinging hard, it doesn’t want me to go

I lie there dripping streams of red diamonds

From my hair onto the black sludge around me

I drag myself up to standing and look about

My arms turn to deep rust as they dry, cracking the clots that didn’t fall

I gingerly take a few steps into the sea of dead grass, so high I barely see over it

Grass seeds scratch my skin and catch my clothes

I wrench them free and find shelter in a dead tree

Hollowed and burnt out at its base

It’s the perfect fit for me

I don’t know if it’s day or night or the twilight gloaming

I fear the latter as that’s where my head lives

With people chasing me down as I never stop running

Always guns to my head as I try to hide

Or worse - the weapons that reverberate all around

Here they come now, their footsteps muffled

Yet I hear them loud as thunder

“You’re pathetic and worthless and we hate you!”

Each word has such kickback as I shrink

To feel the roughened charcoal of wood graze my back

My tears create a new river down my face

Merging with the red

I see nothing but deadness here

This world, all alone in the hues of black, brown and grey

The only life I see is that river and it’s calling my name

I know I shouldn’t but I just can’t resist

Carefully I creep back to the bank and

I let myself slide in and under

It engulfs me, and my heart pounds with delight

I feel safe here, I’m surrounded by warmth

They can’t get me here and I’m lulled to sleep by the ruby waves…

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… then I wake to see I’m in a hospital bed with bandaged arms!