A thorny vine creeps up my veins

A thorny vine creeps up my veins My heart pumps slower, thicker, redder, blacker Droplets of puncture wounds seep into organs No immunity, numb to pain My stomach clenched in anticipation Throat choked, vocal cords removed No voice, no will, just fate Tears held back eternally The endless fight ahead, behind, now Fatigue through every cell Blood count low, so low Recessing, away from people, places, and things No harbor in site Pictures of laughter, of family and friends over for dinner, of carefree days But this vine, it holds my feet back from stepping over the boundary line Into shiny happy days Instead, surrounded by mist and fog Squealing with laughter at Thunderstorms above Telling the Gods that I’ll play their games With understanding, with contempt Fate is cruel and Gods merciless How differently it all could have gone, could go, but will? No, these veins They bleed me dry.