the sentinel

two alleycats sprang from their overhanging courtyard perch,

startling

the broken glass predawn midst,

interrupting

the occasional moans from a half-open 4^th floor window,

astonishing the quietude,

but not this leaky heart

busy pounding just enough to signal the misplaced dead

for it was that distinct odor

emanating from a wooden cellar door

opposite from where he crouched,

grey paint flakes

chips and gouges defining its age,

and its pathetic groans

when the wind disturbed its constant corpse-like existence,

some alien set of lungs hungering to resuscitate

this broken sentient entity

masquerading as a hopeful opening,

this portal phantasmagorical

red teary eyed creature

serenely seeking out yet another victim to yank inward,

heartbeat and all,

past its disguised hidden floors below,

and the creaking now gestures to him,

another psudosentient creature to feed from,

to embrace its greedy hunger,

to drink deeply its severity

regarding those blood eyes of the emasculated hunter,

his disarmed eyes

involuntarily shut,

debating its offer of immortality,

the door opening,

the door closing,

prisoner subtly hijacked

blown invisible by some historic breath

other jackknifed nights

and for him, sentient breathless,

image apparent

now obvious to other predatory eyes,

greedily cowering among the debris,

lingering,

satiated by sanguinary centuries,

gorged with expectations,

his life irrelevant

its life relevant,

mere blood merging through this slight crack in the world,

now left comprised of man and phantom stalking each other

through wicked

skeletal grey doors

of polluted perception

June, 2016

Delray Beach, FL