Home

When he realised, with hindsight, after
Both the monsters had died, that what
He’d thought of as home and sanctuary
Had been nothing but an illusion, he felt
Ill and cheated. The physical symptoms
Lasted for over half a year, and more
Often than not, he spent a day a week in bed,
Something alien and strange to him who
Would never willingly rest. That’s when
He’d understood that his mind had been
Poisoned by them a long time before,
That it now twisted and turned in his
Soul like a deadly venomous snake,
And that he had to drive it out if he was
To survive, and not merely regain his sanity.
That’s why he started talking, every week,
To someone well versed in the dark arts
Of the mind’s machinations, until he
Turned himself into his home and safety.

R 19/08/2025 14:21 Norwich Library