Falling Away

is anyone here real the prisoners ask themselves
the ones kicked out of their cells
and abandoned to further abandonment

trying to recall
how many circles in hell
are there exactly and

have we reached rock bottom yet

look into the bright mirror and breathe
the angels sigh
the ones still there

but you stare into a vacantness
comprehended by only God.
build another world inside you

old dissidents advised
still holding onto time
and the dissonance in Shoshtakovich.

and you comply.
peering into the Beautiful,
falling away.

mary angela douglas 13 november 2017