The Sweet Faced Ones With Nothing Left Inside

My path beyond the shores of time from life to there are maritime ripples. Harrowing blades of rain hammered from storm-clouds shatter puddles of glass to rolling streams of echoes, Misery’s trail towards cleansing waters: A bloody throat gasping for water is my alarm clock each day, it hurts all the time. I drink and gurgle, but none of it matters, echoes butcher my esophagus with hack-saw ripples as knees tumble to drown in rusty puddles; My lungs are a prison withered by the warden’s reign. This morning I woke to the 13th straight day of rain in Houston. From my condo overlooking the water Clear Lake slept like a sidewalk puddle. In July, humidity is a visceral sweater, sweltered by time stitched in ‘X’s and needle-strung ripples suffocating ragdolls in sweat-stained echoes. I took my coffee on the balcony. Through iron-rods came an echo redolent the voice of an angel; “Why’s it gotta rain all the time, daddy?” she asked in wavy curls and golden ripples. More clever then, I quickly responded, “Because god has to water his plants, Ava, that’s why it rains all the time.” It used to be I smiled as she twirled through puddles. The morning sky darkened as shadowy thorns continued to puddle. Nearby lightning cracks hid from thundery echoes. With each explosion my locomotive doubled its time; Faster and faster screaming and taunting the rain, inebriated veins screeching “Ice-water!” - …and then a stillness overtook me. The warden sighed a calm ripple; From a dream my eyes bathed in tranquil ripples of shimmering obsidian disguised as puddles. Behind me were footsteps painted with water. A song I knew from Radiohead was echoing a muffled chorus through sliding glass doors; “broken hearts make it rain, broken hearts make it rain” and I remembered a happier time. Then ripples staggered down my spine. Tingling echoes were empty puddles violated by rain in my fingers and toes. I again looked down at the water and thought, “Better get movin’, it’s breakfast time.” 8/11/2016 2nd Place in contest "Rain" judged 9/10/16