the church bell

The church bell;

It strikes away

As I hear it

I seek redemption

But it tortures my soul

Fills me with an irritability

Like it’s the end

Like life has left

As time moves to another station

I stand there and there only,

Waiting for redemption.

But get tormented instead

The agony and ecstasy all at once

I am a saint that never was

It’s the church bell.

Someone please stand guard

Don’t let time slip away

Stop the church bell.

For a sign of life

The floor struggles under my feet,

As I sneak around on my own.

An abode, a place to call home

It is vacant, empty,silent.

The vastness, oh the vastness opens up,

Piercing my ears with its screams

I run for shelter, from my own house.

I am frantic for a sign of life.

The chairs are still,

The table stares with glazed eyes.

The sofa succumbs to sleep

And my bed lies.

A bulb comes to life,

Replacing the rooms with light,

That’s worse than darkness even

I furnish and I refurbish

I clean, wipe, scrub.

My towel lies as it was in the morning

Crumpled, wet by me

I look at the sinister wall staring,
Mocking my predicament

For a sign of life

Did this move?

Was that a shadow?

Is someone watching me?

I wish! I wish! The house was haunted

But for a sign of life.