Awful Writing

Music - Franz Liszt: 3 Concert Etudes S.144, R5

I read some of my old writing
It was awful

It was in a green duffel bag
which hadn't been unzipped for 20 years
The other night, I found it again.
As soon as I saw the striped blue book cover
I knew what to expect
and braced myself...

I opened the book
and the words flew out
from the page
at my face
like bats
They tried to scratch my eyes out
get inside my mouth
and re-form themselves
The struggle left me exhausted
with blood dripping down my cheek

So I tore the book to pieces
and screwed up the pages
and poured lighter fluid on them
in a metal bin

Ready to set it all ablaze,
something changed my mind
A split-second decision
to save something,
even just a couple of lines

But as I reached down to grab the papers
the top of the lighter
made contact with the edge of the bin
Something sparked
The whole thing ignited
and my arm was on fire

Eventually, I managed to pat it out
with the curtain
and the bin was still on fire
and that awful writing
was gone