within these walls

                                
                         Time does not have four sides
                         never did and never will
                         Time does not have a cushioned ceiling
                         to continually smack your head upon
                         until the dulling pain
                         culminates to agonizing torture
                         confronting us with
                         one abrupt lifelong indecision
                         to live or die
                         to fall or to endure another moment
                        of complicating simplicity

                        Time does have four walls
                        I looked upon them for decades
                        some of the walls acquired memories of
                        first kisses, premature ejaculation
                        and drug addiction
                        Some of them reminded me of women I once knew
                        especially the walls of
                       older apartment bedrooms
                        I lived within

                       Time is kinda like these women
                       they both came, went and
                       will not return.
                       Some are dead, some live freely
                       some beaten into incomprehensibly demoralizing resignation

                       The walls have always been there
                       constantly changing with the seasons
                       in sickness and in health
                       in joy, sorrow and fear

                      I made love to you within these walls
                      and said I'd never leave you
                      I told you lies within these walls
                      and you believed me

                     I died within these walls several times
                     only to be resuscitated by paramedics
                     within neon lighted halls of
                     inner city hospitals
                     I wouldn't be able to tell you the
                     names of the people that saved my life
                     but sometimes I think about them
                     when I'm alone at night
                     within these walls