the hallway shrivels to the size of a chair
inert bodies lie on the sides of the hallway
pressed against what were once doorways
those doorways are now screws
pressing themselves against the wooden frames
creating friction & smoke
forcing the bodies to mumble
it is not agony they feel
it is not sadness they feel
it is happiness they fear
they feel trapped in a constant state of
unravelling mysteries &
cloudbursts,
drenching them in a mix of water
and a little hope
when the bodies stand up
they do so easily
when the bodies stand up
they speak another language
when you wander through the hallway
without an end in sight
the bodies speak in your language
the smoke evaporates when it reaches the ceiling.
It doesn’t want to suffocate
It wants to create a window
through which you and the bodies
can see yourself & their existence
in a separate part of the world
once you look through the window
you see the city spread out
against itself
forming an endless cycle of spring trees & eulogies
you step out & fall.