PORTALSCAPE

Portals, portals everywhere —

but not one takes me anywhere.

I enter the hot tub portal at night,

but the cat meows at the door,

stopping me mid-flight.

The tub failed me.

Now I try the bed.

I press the portal pillow —

my head hits send.

But the emergency alert

stops me again.

I sit upright,

looking for a dangerous convict.

The third portal is the screen.

I check in and search for long —

finally finding the escape I’m looking for:

a black screen with white noise.

Perfect, I think — let’s dream.

Ten minutes in —

an ad for cream.

I stare at the cream —

and order one too.

Desperate for another portal —

my eyes fixate on food.

The fourth portal is my fridge.

I look inside — pupils dilate.

Trancelike — I attack two cakes,

for the meat, the fries —

this world, I forsake.

I close my eyes — ready to escape,

but at that moment my feet hit the scale.

Mouth full, I jump on it —

it says, “Girl, what have you been doing?

You are now 88.”

I’m running out of portals galore —

but my mind backslaps:

“Curio, there’s one more.”

The portal phone with its glistening light

calls to me —

“Let us disappear into the night.”

Soon enough, I am in its trance —

but it’s a mirage, doesn’t last.

The buttons were fake;

it takes me nowhere.

Other people at the other end —

also looking to escape.

I am fed up and hunger-angry.

I know there is a word for that —

but the portals, failing one by one,

dumbed my mind —

dimmed my light.

I lay in bed.

There is something humming —

the sound of a fan,

like a soft purring.

I close my eyes, and it opens a door.

I am in space — finally.

Did it happen?

Did I escape reality?

But just as I see the empty space,

I can feel a foul smell.

It’s licking my face.

With googly eyes,

the terror is looking at me —

“Meow meow, lady — it’s time for my meal.”

-Curio Athena

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