Skip to main content

7 Days in Hell (Louis Toliver Jr-Swartz, LA)


"7 Days in Hell"

To Hell
Is where I went when I was feeling
Rejected,
Infected,
By the life I never asked for
And the life those who judged me
Said had no place in heaven

The first day
On the road to Hell
Always seems glamorous
But the glamour starts to fade
By the end of the second day
It’s the third day when most are captured
When the hallucinations really take hold

There is only a short window of time 
In which one can travel down the multiple paths
From Hell to Earth
Most never make it back in time
It only takes three days to be stuck in patterns, craziness
Few, like myself, are able to navigate beyond the third day
Between the realms of Earth and Hell

The fourth day in hell
Begins a deep period of paranoia and horror
The fifth day in hell
Is when isolation sets in and the deterioration begins
By the sixth day in hell
The reality of flesh is dying with the mind
It is near a permanent state of misery

Hell is where I went
Determined to find pleasure in loneliness
I kept looking for acceptance from decayed souls
In hell to make friends with
Because I was taught that every soul
Has the potential to be good
But in Hell that isn’t true

By the seventh day
I realized I was lonely among the lonely
If I didn’t leave I’d be stuck forever in patterns, crazinesss
But I was lucky
That everyone and everything in Hell
Reminded me that my inspiring soul didn’t belong there
So I let go of misery and left Hell for sanity

And found the path that was right for me to Heaven

Comments

  1. James LudeauMay 6, 2013 at 3:35 PM

    without a doubt one of my favorite pieces! and incredible, emotional example of one person's spiritual journey

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash Wednesday (Brian Falcon - New Orleans, LA)

  It’s forgettable- the number of times I was called a “fucking faggot” as a kid. As a former child of god, I wasn’t expected to know what those words meant. I was taught that repentance was vital to achieving everlasting life. My momma made me go to church every Sunday. I said my prayers as I was told. But I eventually learned that Catholicism was never my sanctuary. Christianity was never my safe-haven. God never stopped the cheap shots. He never once prevented the harassment or pure embarrassment that I felt from the words of my “kin in Christ.” Now, picture me- a helpless faggot, blinded by the incandescent lights of an old catholic church. I was home from college spending Spring Break in my former hellscape. So, naturally, my momma yet again made me go to church. This time, on a Wednesday. It was Ash Wednesday. When I was among the folks from home, I felt out of place. So much that I’d imagine camouflaging myself. Like saber-tooth in hiding. But the difference? I had a far mo...
1 comment
Read more

Louisiana Words Remembers Jorge Arturo

There’s nothing that hurts more than when we lose someone from our Louisiana Words family. But, the beauty of our writing movement is that the words of our loved ones live on with us.   On June 20th, 2023, Louisiana Words Allstar, Jorge Arturo, moved on from this world leaving our hearts broken. He was a charismatic and talented human being. Jorge resided in New Orleans, LA and had been active on Louisiana Words for over a year. To honor Jorge’s life and work, we will be sharing his writing and live performances all Summer 2023. Please help keep his spirit alive by sharing his work. We know that Jorge’s words will connect with our readers and we hope to keep his spirit alive.  Jorge’s first submission: “The Dog Show” debuted on February 6th, 2022 and is his most successful piece to date. In 2022, Jorge spent 10 weeks in the top with “The Dog Show,” “Weavers,”  “They Say Love Kills, This Time It Really Did,” and “If Hell is Real, It Looks Like an Airport.” His la...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nobody Said There'd Be a Day Like This (Sam Ray - New Orleans, LA)

  I know how this should be:  I've seen it, you see, In soap operas, Movies. Your eyes are closed, As if in sleep. Perfect peachy skin Atop a snow white pillow  Under flawlessly matched sheets. The heart monitor, Quiet bleeps. The ventilator, A steady hiss. None of that is this. Your eyes Stuck open  Seeing without sight Yellow sclera Dumb tears streaming. Tubes, taped to your face  Delicate skin torn Where nurses Repositioned them  To feed you To heal you You never liked being told What to do. Your whole torso spasms Spastic, Every 40 seconds. A machine  Forces your lungs to act. Your hands are warm From hemodialysis  But don't respond  When we each grab one Give it a kiss. We spend the day  Brushing your hair  Telling stories  Singing  songs. Praying prayers. You're not there. Hospital staff Are more lovely  If less pretty  Than on TV. When the time comes  They gently walk us From the room Close the curtai...
Post a Comment
Read more