The Invalid - (Another musing non-poem non-story by Victory
I took a voyage into the innermost realm of the subconscious
Disorientated but determined to find the source of neurosis
A frail form lay beneath a swirl of electrical currents
It had translucent skin, freckled with open lesions
It laid there limp, barely fluttering its pale gray eyes.
I took it upon myself to bring it home to try and nourish it
Dragging it by its weakened limbs, it’s whimpering from an
unimaginable pain.
“Almost there!” I shouted back, while launching the body
into the general vicinity of reality.
Back in the galley I procured a healing sustenance
Formed from warm milk mixed with ginger and raw honey
But its delicate lips were wounded by my tarnished spoon
Blood began to spill from its mouth, it was now whimpering
in more pain.
I threw the bowl to the wall, disgusted by my inability to
cure its ailments.
Back to the galley,
Soaking muslin bandages in witch-hazel and rosewater
I returned to find it sitting upright in bed, smiling at
itself in the reflection from the mirror.
“For what causes you such happiness, do you not acknowledge
your current state?”
It opened its mouth to speak and out spilled a handful of
black millipedes, scurrying quickly to escape
I called from the window to my Corvid familiar, to come
feast upon these unwelcomed pests;
The being watched with a smirk upon its face, gesturing
towards a notebook and pen.
“I’m sorry about the mess” it wrote. “It’s been a while
since I tried to speak”
The great black Corvid hesitated his meal and observed this
strange new house guest
I laid the being back down on the bed,
I wrapped the sterile bandages around its skin,
The flesh began to boil and sizzle, as if the cloth was
soaked in acid
The being screamed in agony as I ripped the cloths from its
parched body
The corvid fluttered loudly about the room, clearly anxious
“YOU ARE MUCH TOO DELICATE TO SAVE.” I screeched, throwing
the muslin cloths to the floor.
“Blood, I need blood”
it scribbled furiously, fresh blisters bursting onto the page.
Back to the galley,
I procured another concoction
A tiny slash on my forearm, enough blood to fill a small
wooden cup
I returned to find it embracing my Corvid
They seemed to have a voiceless understanding.
It snatched the cup from my hands, slurping loudly and
belched
The stench of a thousand corpses filled my chamber
In astonishment I watched as all its abrasions restored
Its weakened frail limbs became firm tanned taut muscles
Milky gray eyes became green crystals
It blinked at me with such amazing clarity
The crow now rested on its shoulder, squawking commands.
I stepped forward and fell right to my knees
I looked at my suddenly weakened pale limbs
Distrust, pain and anger flushed through me
“How dare you?” I hissed.
The being carried me over to my bed
One last note it wrote –
“You should have left me in the void”
