Written By: Akshat Pathak
Alone I stood in the thicket.
The dogs growled at me
Their jaws monstrous, a frightful
Sight shook my body.
Eyes filled with anger
They watched me leap, crawl
Behind their feet, I remained
Frightened, aghast to run away
The gooseflesh grew on my skin.
Cats beside hissed, jumped
Across my body, restless
I retreated and counted
My breaths in the pit where
Death surrounded my lifeless wings.
Rainwater slid down the pit
My heart thumped, squeezed
The blood within my chest,
I noticed their gory eyes
And my face winced.
Ravens gathered, hovered
Around the pit, my eyes
Bloodshot watched them await
The dead man’s shoes beneath.
I was dying, black moths
Consumed my skin, dead
Roses welted my body,
Pictures of unicorn’s blood
Above dreaded the moon and
Dwarfed my blackened eyes.
Vivid dreams gnashed my
Heart, plagued my sight,
Death was approaching
Me soon I realized.
Dust grounded my nostrils,
Choked my breath, the dogs
Howled, the cats hissed,
Gathering the vultures
Ravenous for bones and flesh
On a scavenged skin.
Burial smothered my throat
The breath dropped,
Scavengers awaited their flesh
Until my heart stopped.
Akshat Pathak is a writer based in Nagpur, India, working across poetry and fiction with a focus on psychological and literary fiction. His work explores emotional interiority and themes of love, loss, melancholy, and death, often through a restrained and reflective narrative style. He is currently pursuing a BA in English literature and is working on a book for traditional publication. Instagram: @author.akshatspathak
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