My warped mind thrust into a crucible of psychosis and hallucination,
I saw a desolate wasteland mired in horror,
A billion specks of scorching sand skimming over the barren desert plane,
A parched wilderness with towering cactus plants as sharp as razor blades,
An endless nightmare of horizons stretching out into oblivion,
Mythical scorpions hissing tales of furious vengeance,
Their perilous poisonous pincers clasped shut,
Savage hawks encircling a dying rattlesnake,
Their cutthroat claws twitching with brutal vigilance,
A scurrying hoard of fire ants with metallic exoskeletons,
The breathless air suffocating my senses like a vacuum,
Buzzing clusters of disease-ridden flies and malaria-infested mosquitos,
Gorging upon festering piles of toxic manure and faeces,
The defecated carcasses of mindlessly ravaged and voraciously devoured prey,
A cacophony of shrill shrieks fading into the eerie silence,
Scalding bolts of incandescent lightning illuminating this bleak abyss,
Jagged shards of broken glass and brittle decaying bones,
Deadly pools of concentrated bleach and acidic extra-terrestrial chemicals,
The boundless blood red skies of dawn wrapped over the desert,
Like a domed cage incarcerating the harrowing terror of hell within –
Suddenly I saw a magisterial mirage,
A resplendent oasis of marble fountains spurting glassy streams of fresh water,
A wool thatched hammock dangling lazily between sturdy palm trees,
Their deep green leaves branching far out like limbs,
Casting a thick cloak of shade upon this wondrous solace,
Where idyllic tangles of wild lavender and elderflower tenderly sway,
Their enticing odour wafting heavenward like a cloud of moist cool mist,
A soothing breeze rustling and fluttering their bountiful flowers,
Vibrant mango and tangerine blossom soaked in silvery dewdrops,
A veil of ephemeral fog draped upon the tranquil lagoon,
Luscious thickets of daffodils and tulips,
A babbling brook weaving through this sublime everglade of floral grace,
A family of swans idly roaming the fertile prairie,
Like bumblebees intoxicated by a cauldron of ambrosia nectar,
A safe haven of solitude for weary travellers burdened with grief and exhaustion –
Poem by Stamos Mardou