sim headache

they told him that everyone
had problems and that it
was the strong that sur-
vived and revived the
will to live that gives
and gives and then
the sun went numb
and the dumb people
of the planet forgot the
most important facet of
reimagining a mountain

he looked up.
they were still
studying him in-
tently. the flaps of
the tent whipped as
if a painting of wind
had come alive and
he sighed and saw
his hands, as if for
the first time ...

we're all human
some more scum
than others. none as
shiny as could be and
yet the weight of the world
as he waited in the hall for
them to call his name - that
weight was horribly real to
him in that moment it all
began to break, to split
apart - his head ached.

somehow he managed
to realize that the thoughts
in his head weren't the words
that were released when he spoke.

and the pokes and the prods were all...

splintered.

hurt.

synapses misfiring.

thouights spring forth
from thought and before
he knows it he's caught in
some loop or another that is
never going to end in a good
way
and the dream unravels.

the first time.

taste. touch. smell. grunt.

"my head aches," he tried to
say clearly, but it came out
mumbled, peppered with
tears. fears realized, he
stopped talking and
the thoughts re-
doubled back
around and
around as
sound
waves

the situation was similar
an unknown simulation