A Hero's Journey

I have passed the gates of hell
and tasted fire brimstone in my
grinding teeth.
I descend through years
through ages
through lives I've lived
and those I haven't lived;
hundreds of bodies
thousands
millions of bodies--
touched by flames
twisting taunting
burning searing
ruining beautiful flesh;
we wail together but with
no earthly avail,
as a ship with empty sails
caught in the clutches of barren winds.
We wail together but to
what avail?
I descend into hell.
I descend to a sea of souls
swimming swarming sweeping
sensations that crawl like
insects.
(I detest the feet of the insects
that find ways to creep under
my skin. I crush them with my fists.)
Into the dreary waves I plunge.
Sickness steeps through my clothes.
I am naked and I hate it.
Naked I kick and swim and fight
my long hair billows. I grow
stronger. No need to breath air,
I inhale light piercing from above.
Piercing white light--and I fight
the demons clawing at my defenses
chewing through my skin--insects pour out.
I purge and they pour. The
piercing
light
burns them from my body
and I am clean.
Rising (a force of levitation bears me) from
the pool of souls, trembling feet meet hard rock
I climb with dagger clench between my
grinding teeth.
The dagger is made of diamond--
materialized from carbon crevices and
deceased organic material pushed into the bowels
of the earth, so conveniently--where hell is located.
Wings flap
teeth try to bite my fingers
I climb on
weak and strong
and take my diamond dagger
and strike the cages hanging
tight upon
stalactites.
I break the bony locks
and free my sisters
my brothers
my sisters...who are living still
who will find a way out.
Fly away.
Fly away from here.
There is freedom
there is life
away from hell.