In the Middle of Nowhere
He's a seasoned outdoorsman; a lover
and explorer of nature who frequently
goes camping, on occasion, hunting; even fly-fishing.
He's equally at home in the wild as he is in civilization.
He's usually accompanied by his wife, or dog.
Hiking alone in the woods one fateful day,
he never anticipated the misfortune
that befell him. He built a makeshift shelter
deep into the vast wilderness
with palm fronds chopped off of a coconut tree.
Reposing nigh twilight, a rattlesnake crawled
into his shelter and bit him on the right foot.
Suddenly, it becomes a race against time
to get to a hospital, a race he's bound to lose.
The nearest hospital is fifteen miles away, by car.
The poison injected into him is spreading
from his foot up; akin to a metastasizing cancer.
He's confronted with two choices,
do the unthinkable or watch his life slowly
and painfully slip away before his eyes.
Paralyzed with fear and unable to rush himself to
the hospital as quick movements would accelerate
the spread of poison, he chose the unthinkable.
He tied a tourniquet below his right knee and began
chopping off his leg with a machete to save his life.
Will To Survive Poetry Contest (Winner: 2nd Place)
Sponsored by Silent One
Date written: 10/14/2020
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a
Premium Membership.
