Downstairs

The shared delusion

Amongst all sleepers

Falling, like Alice

My rabbit hole

A never-ending staircase

Descending into the depths

Not to hell

To the downstairs

The stairs keep extending on and on

After only a few tentative steps

I trip, as always

Not falling end over end

I slip into the unfinished space

The rectangular gaps

between the platforms

floating above a great open mouth

Teeth forming the rail

I see it disappear

As I plummet

into the stud-lined shaft

Tongue rolling over

Shutting out the light

Which is better?

Falling forever

Or waking

With a thud

Downstairs

K.B. Silver