The repellent

His demeanor calm as ever
Now comes across as plotting

His smile affable as before
Now looks to be surly

Words as soft as in the past
Now like threatening whispers

The past that lingers on…

He sickens me, the very sight of him
His voice provoking and his presence acerbic

The memory that he is…
Tracing my steps back to a time when all was… has been

He has been there, now he repels…

What Dreams may Come...

All still and dark, when the hands started shaking me… in silence, Out of nowhere I was cajoled into moving, a tired walk with barely the feeling that I was awake. In the darkness the first thing I saw was a distant light, a street lamp maybe and as I approached, heard the sound of waves somewhere in a distance. I wasn't able to place myself. Except I was walking towards the light…seemed drawn to it.

As I neared the light, I noticed a figure - ladylike. Not directly under but slightly away with a scarf that made it quite difficult to place the face. She exuded the kind of calm that was unnerving. An odd time for a woman to be alone…as I thought this, I just couldn’t place the time. A gust of wind made its way from behind me pushing me slightly forward and the moment took to a sudden chill

Laughing out loud, she started walking away, glancing from time to time to see if was following her… it felt odd, like she expected me to. That is when I recognized the place - it was the beach and she was rushing towards the lighthouse. I could saw the beacon making rounds spraying its light against the fog. I couldn’t make sense of this at all. I knew not whether this woman was some lunatic on the prowl or some divine intervention. And why was I drawn to her….i couldn’t explain.

She reached the lighthouse, she started running up the stairs. I took after her, wanting to find out what all this was about. I reached the top landing and stepped out, only to find myself alone… I went around the place a couple of times and found no trace of the woman I followed. Suddenly from behind I heard shrill laughs and I felt a hand on my shoulders. I was attacked by surprise, I turned around to face my assailant, a crazy look on her face as she was laughing and the scarf still hid most of her face.

I struggled with her at the railing I heard a knock at the door, faint considering the circumstances... In panic I heaved and pushed away wanting to get away… in the process pushed her over the railing. I hurried over to see her fall, down the lighthouse as the beacon made its way around as usual, slowly but surely, the shrill of her voice disappearing into a distance… I was shaking and completely numbed by what had happened.

It took a while for me to compose myself and I retraced my way back, opened the door to see a lanky guy. He said “That was lady luck you just killed, if you keep pushing at her long enough, this is bound to happen. All she was trying to do was smile at you. I tried stopping you, but then I knock only once - I am opportunity. You missed your chance.”

I was dumbfounded, tired, weak… and kept staring at the spiral staircase. Now the only way left in life is down…