Mortal Fear Poem by Kewal Paigankar

Through the night I travel
The enveloping darkness closing in
The dread of turbulence
That rocks the plane up and down.
I cower in my seat, trembling with fear
High up in the air my head is spinning
And my body, old and stricken
Is plunged into paralysis.

I am crippled by anxiety and panic
The nightmare of claustrophobia, so tight
And unforgiving in its grip
Overwhelms me as I retreat
Barely alive, almost dead,
Into the darkest terrain of my soul
Where the spectre of death looms large
Always hovering, permanently on standby
It can barely wait
To put me out of my misery.

Yet I survive, driven by instinct
Shaken and bruised, to arrive home
No longer tortured or tormented.
Old photographs and fixtures, fittings and fireplace
Echoes of past memories
And familiar faces drift by
Reminders of history and your past failings
As you come to terms with what you’ve lost
And missed
Suddenly you confront the truth
That you are getting old.

Demons circle overhead
As you lament the passing of your youth
And await the arrival of time’s arrow
Hurtling at speed towards you…………….