Poetry The Outmaster

[Mysterier]

Splayed out on unnamed tropical beach #1
The Sun glares at me intently
As I reach for my cruiser hat and hand-held fan

My skull splits as I recall
How close I came to becoming
One with the ash and embers
Of that volcano not long ago
And wouldn't have seen outside
Until I was part of the pyroclastic flow
I haven't been able to shake the whirring
Of my thoughts since

The landscape is drunk
Only straightening up after corpse pose
Leavening a surrender of noise almost like a parade;
An orchestra of desperation
For now, my inner universe was awake
Shaky, but curved all the same

I reached for my revolver
Must have been an hour or so
Since I put these bottles in a row
I sit back and gather my breath
Still troubling to find my sight
I arise and aim with one with two closed
The bullet penetrates something with a whimper
No shrieking of glass in a short, beautiful explosion
(A treat for big ears)

Everything returns to sharp focus
As I zoom in on a medium-sized turtle
With a pierced carapace
The gun slips from my hand
As I grab the back of my head
And my knees meet the sand
The nesting turtle does not move
I look at my hands for several moments
As I consider walking right into the ocean

Suddenly, its head cautiously emerges from its shell
My realm of darkness flees
And my hands go high
As I pummel the sky in excitement
It starts to rain
It hurts this time—scornful
I call to the computer to end the program
I smile and pop an isolinear chip into my mouth
This will do just fine