In mania, in depression, I fear death
Or worse, I feel affection for death
as if death were my favorite cousin
So, in my darkest of places, I turn
to horror movies because the heroes,
my avatars, somehow emerge
alive, alive, alive
From the rat-hungry cellars
And wasp-enraged attics.
And, yes, my avatars are always
critically wounded
but they were strong enough
To escape the beast.