The Celebration Select

Insults are traded, as alcohol passed
Drunken redundancy, how long will this last?
Together for ten years, with no thought of leaving
Despite all the hurt, all the pain and the grieving

They will soon be on welfare, and so the delight
A bottle has been bought, and so they will fight
To savor it longest, to keep it in greed
For oblivion is desired, and that's what they need

When he is sober he is generous, almost gentle and kind
But then he becomes drunk, and to his actions is blind 
He beats and he pummels, and she hits him back
And they tear each other apart, for with words they attack

Then the fire needs wood, for there is no more
A blizzard is raging, and so that's what she's for
For if she does not, He will force her to leave
And life without him, she cannot conceive

She is freezing and cold, but she has done as asked
Ready to re-enter the battle, feelings subdued and masked
"Eric" she yelled "The door's stuck and I'm locked out"
With anguish she cries "Eric, what's this all about?"

But Eric isn't listening; she had been locked out
"Eric PLEASE let me in" she continues to shout
Ramming the door, with large pieces of wood
Then with clarity she gasps, for she has understood

The anger that had sprung up, has given 'way to fear
She needs to find shelter, but is shelter near?
She stumbles to the window, and badly hurts her leg
Yet she still breaks the glass, and continues to beg

In a frenzy she flails, at the protruding glass
Cutting her hands deeply, the pain will surpass 
She begins to cry then, tears freeze to her face
With no hope left she holds herself tightly, in one final embrace

She's expecting death, but then he opens the door
"Had enough?" He asks ruthlessly. She falls to the floor
"You're ok, get up, have something to drink"
 But as far as life goes, she is on the brink

Then she lets loose a shriek, a bloodcurdling cry
And as she writhes in pain, he's afraid she will die
So he puts on warm clothes, for to find help he must leave
He must do it quickly, and he silently grieves

Help is found, and is taken to their home
He enters the room, and he hears Mabel moan
He sees her tortured body; he sees all her pain
But in her condition, will their help be in vain?

So she is loaded into a truck, and they head out to town
Hoping she survives the trip, in her pain she won't drown
Two hours later they arrive, under streetlights dim
And through the hospital doors they half pull, half drag Mabel in

The doctor has seen her, and he looks quite grim
"She'll lose toes and fingers, and maybe even a limb"
And as she lay on her back, twitching and gasping for air
Eric fervrently whispers, a silent, quick prayer

The rescuer sees Eric and the look on his face
And says "If you have no where to go, you can sleep at my place
You can have the kids bed, they'll sleep on the floor"
And then Eric remembered, and his ears began to roar

And then Eric stumbled back, his face filled with fear
A vision thrust upon him, with darkness so near
His face suddenly contorted, pupils dilate under lids
For at home were the bodies, of his frozen dead kids


Dustin Germain 
November Twenty-Seventh Two Thousand