RAT

There is a rat
Gnawing in my brain.
I do not know how it got
There.
I believe some people would say
That it was following the
Cheese I eat.
(I do not eat anything
That reminds me it used to
Be living, you know.
Eating creatures that once had a face
Are a bit too much for me.)

So the rat is safe there.
And he knows it.
I would rather live with the
Gaping holes and their
Needle-nosed teeth marks
Than solid, gelatinous,
Quivering matter.

I would rather live with the
Scurry of furry little feet
Than with the hollow echo
Of emptiness.

I would rather live with the
Gleam of beedy, red eyes
And cover my face against the
Monsters in the dark
Than to
Cover my face against the
Blind, sightless,
Self-induced creatures
Of the night.

I would rather feel his passionless,
Hairless, icy tail
Slithering across
My bloody chambers
Than to gather dust
Among forgotton paths.

I would rather eternity judge
Me
Worthless than break free
To face uncertainty.

I meant to set a trap there
But something held me back
And holds me back still.
So
Should you see a woodsman,
Bent and gray,
Among your travels -
Remind him
Of me
And the rat
That is
Gnawing in my brain.