Touched By a Demon

Dancing with the devil. we waltzed across the floor Past the spot the band was playing, through the open door The darkness called to him by name, he answered with a smile And looked at me and said: “This way, damnations forked turnstile” With one step back, I bid him true, to leave me on my way The voices growing louder still, of those past gone astray He stopped and said: “You now must jump, this ledge all sinner’s pass” And pointed down to the abyss, the inferno’s deep morass He looked away, his head was down, while shouting dark and vile A chant so foul, demonic born, my soul at once beguiled Before he stopped, I took both hands, and pushed him from behind And watched him fall into the void, among his liken kind Then walking back toward the dance, I heard the music play His words to music ringing out, my spirit disarrayed Once back inside I looked around, and watched the dancers flee And knew at once the way they ran —that devil now was me (Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)