10/7/98

In the darkness we could see his face
as if our self-confidence-
being yanked slowly away from us-
gave off a sick illumination that
reflected off his teeth and made them
glow.

Surely, we thought, this must be a devil
(but not Satan, he lacks the goat legs,and
trident, and red complexion that
characterized that devil)
He was human, or so he appeared,
but certainly beneath that exterior
a giant worm slithered and squirmed with cruelty.
And so we named him Skosh the Worm Demon.

But we were two together
bonded by friendship and common strife
and thus stronger than one-
demon though he be-
alone.

We fought his minions.

We put his face in our minds.
That distorted calcium glow became
our torch, the one light of hope
in the proverbial darkness
to ward off black self-doubt.
And our spirits, like the Pegasus
took flight-our self-confidence
radiating in unicorn horns.