Yellow Brick Road

God is alone,-but the devil, he is far from being alone; he sees a great deal of company; he is legion. - Thoreau

One foot on bituminous pitch.

The other on a deceptive b***h.

Immune to this two-faced, twisted city that surrounds me.

Showing me what it wants me to see.

Trying to make me what I don't want to be.

I walk its adulterated streets.

Stepping over spent condoms, needles and scratch tickets in the gutter.

Spying an obese, dumpster-diving, Russian man pulling a wagon-train of overflowing shopping carts.

His own mobile, hoarded version of Wal Mart.

Passing by lost souls with their hearts all aflutter.

Sucking on what's left of today.

Forgetting to pray.

Oblivious to tomorrow.

Begging, so they don't have to borrow.

A sad spectacle.

An unfortunate receptacle.

Carrying my load.

On a piss-soaked, fool's-gold, yellow-brick road.

Saturated.

Unrelated.

Conjugated.

Punctuated.

Abbreviated.

Vaccinated.

Illuminated.

Castrated.

I've had the complete tour.

My soul is quite sure.

The street sign reads, "Liberty Street" but there's no freedom here.

Not at this tier.

Steering clear of darkness' princely dealer.

Inconspicuously lowering my faithful kneeler ...

Author's Note

"The devil finds work for idle hands." - Thoreau

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

Urban dystopia here. This is definitely not Dorothy's yellow brick road. Sounds more like a scene from Dante's hell. The speaker is clearly appalled and disgusted and at the end wants only to stay away from the darkness. If I interpret the last line correctly, he is remembering the need to pray.

[Pete]

good word - dystopia, i like that. as the wizard said in the movie, "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." in this place, prayer is all anyone really has (certainly for me). thanks j. the b. ... :)