i am struck by lightning

I Am Struck by Lightning

The shaft of my old umbrella

becomes a sudden

lightning rod.

My retinas flash yellow,

and my spine sparks like God's electric cord,

charging the stack of ceramic spools,

blasting the backof my skull.

the flaming umbrella spins away,

I drop my books,

and like a chimney missing bricks,

smoking and haloed with pale flame,

I shudder, start to stagger, lurch

and finally tumble in the ditch,

where my blackening skin boilsthe muddy water into steam.

Muscle pulls against tight muscle,

screwing eyes, tighter,

grinding teeth to splinters.

I'm an inferno

now,

a writhing seizure of

fire.

The dull roar doesn't mask the crack

and pop of stinking cartilage,

nor are the faces of the gawking

passers-by veiled by heat mirage.

I see them.

They see me,

a fallen angel,

sin thrown down from

heaven.

I Am Struck by Lightning

• John L. Conn • Steven Meyer-Rassow • Richard Masoner • Thomas Hawk • Curious Expeditions• DCE • Jon Truran • Yours Truly• Karl-Ludwig Poggemann • julkastro • Steve Wall 

• ra64  • Fanch• Bart Cayusa• Jason Fraser• Ali Nishan• Carlos • Joe Flintham• Joshua Rappeneker• Sascha• punk27fay• PacoCT• Paul Kalkbrenner

Poem by Bart Everson, 1988

Images licensed via Creative Commons.