Forever

the door swings open
and a flood rushes in
an overwhelming familiarity
a wash of dread
upon a fragile spirit
weighs heavily in suspended air

the loss of time
upon a ticking clock
clicking in reverse
mocking the unrelenting motion
of an aging existence

horror befalls the imagination
of the afflicted
raging beneath the breastbone
shallow breath
begets a dying heart

tiny quakes erupt
across a liquid surface
ripples cause nerves
to come alive
shocks of electricity
numb the lips and fingertips

the air beneath the air
floats upon nothing
levels of desperation compound
sanity begins to fracture
and reality falls to pieces

a pinhole of white
marks the tunnels end
an eternity out of reach from here
from this vantage
I can see forever