St. Mary's, 1841

I feel the warmth of needles
Thousands of them in my back
As my skin burns from the sweet
Venom they provide

The bruises covering my neck
Like the webs of a hundred spiders
Are reminders of the treatments
Of those magnificent, omnipotent beings

My arms and legs contain the tiny bird scratches
Of the doctors and nurses that adore me so
And the scars they cover
No longer feel the stabbing agony

The healing process has just begun
For what they tell me is my affliction
As I spit, rip and tore my way through entire cities
And have ended up writhing in my mind

The rainbow of morning medicines
Make me feel as though my insides are alight
Intensifying my torment
Elongating every waking moment of my existence

"You'll soon be alright,"
They say
"We'll bleed the demons out of you
And we will make you feel all better."