Outsider

by David Lindsay

 As I sift through piles of debris, a panic settles over me,
The darkness looms and bares its teeth, creeping closer to consume.
No firewood- hands trembling, frantic black thoughts resembling
wicked demons assembling. Shadows stretch across the room
Exploding into monsters, scatter out across my tomb
Blanketing the walls with doom

I wrap myself in ruined clothes, then cup my hands 'round mouth and nose.
My breath, the only source of warmth, as icy chill seeps through the walls.
I toss, and turn, and clench, and shiver, cold claws rend my flesh, I quiver
Like a trout removed from river. I hear wind billow through the halls,
Inviting frigid creatures as my hollow sanctum falls,
Most ominous of nature's calls

Through sleepless hours I survive, and all the heat the night deprived
returns to me, I'm still alive. I shed my wretched, tattered shell.
Wiping the frost from my clothes, I feel a stomach pain, it grows.
I pick up something with my nose. A burst of life, I feel compelled.
Abandoning my shelter, I start heading toward the smell
Walking into frozen Hell