Roulette & Reunion

Give me the antidote I beg you… The tea has an awful bite to it You feign surprise. But my nose knew the danger well before my lips. I want to trust you. Think carefully about what you just did. Almost instantly--- My mouth is dry as dust My hands violently shake The dose is strong. The effects are immediate. Listen, I am not your enemy My heart slowly pumps the venom that you served me Waiting impatiently for a reprieve Am I so naive that I should be punished Being taught a lesson that I can only learn briefly Not knowing friend from foe. You tell me. I'll wait for your answer...if I can Yes, you do not know me from familiar branches I am only a stranger of estranged ancestry It’s only natural that you would feel this way towards me We are animals. And there is territory to protect. I pause from my speech. My head is swimming I feel I am truly dying… There is sharp pain from within--- shortness of breath. Yet I continue to smile Much has been revealed during my own spoken eulogy Your actions can not be born of your own comprehension Who is the one who guided your hand so skillfully You wayward child. Give me a name. Perhaps we are not strangers after all. My vision blurs and I stumble towards you. Be a good Christian. Be a friend. Be human, show mercy. Either catch me or condemn me There is still time to do the right thing Shed the skin of animosity. Be naked apart from the tempest. There are stains beyond stains that cover mortal hands A splash of dark color that consumes the body wholly The antidote…my throat seems to close…please Give me the antidote now. Before it’s too late to forgive. Not for my sake but your own. And those sleepless nights to come.