I stand at an intersection and
         my perception distorts for half a second.
Whether it’s the sight of the storefronts,
or the familiar rush of traffic,
the smell of sizzling concrete,
or the voices of passersby,
         I know I’ve been here before.
And I like to think
         about my doppelganger,
         no doubt being a rockstar
         in a parallel world running
         alongside me.

If our lives sang to the tune
         of a guitar, how much simpler
         our melodies would sound.
If we lost our place, fret not—
         because the frets will set you
         on course.
Dissonance and resonance
         a complementary harmony,
         that our life songs
         cannot avoid.

In the moldy lab, a thousand intricacies on display:
Rusty specimen slides, stained flasks, a lone silver crank.
Relics from a mad scientist who lost her way,
Leaving only a frozen corpse, a half-decayed flank.

A brilliant mind—ahead of the time—or so they say.
Until fantastic experiments overextended the bank,
Impossible to fund the future without pay.
Tears filled the sea as the visionary sank.

Hark! Over the horizon, an orange glimmer,
Dusk approaches—the day grows dimmer.
A strange shadow dances by candlelight flicker.
It sits on dust, beside the chair of wicker.
Stars fall and the night stands grimmer—
A roiling danger set to simmer.

Count the minutes ticking down,
Down into the inescapable void.
Autopilot takes control exceptionally well.
Brain shutdown, no more thought!

The motions flow smoothly…
Easily…thoughtlessly.
—hey there!
Forget complacency!

Shake off the monotony,
Disrupt the order!
Routine is safe,
But it can swallow you whole.

Sometimes I see the wild animal,
Gnashing teeth—crazy eyes—growling rage—
A nightmare manifest.
Though calm outside, I feel crazy too
—sometimes.

Fists clenched—muscles tense—
A taut string ready to lash
At the unsuspecting wanderer.
The rabid animal—
Frothing at the seams.