Prose Poetry. "Dead Man Walking"

Dead Man Walking

Dawn is just breaking
Light being born once again
I awake stubbornly at first like any other day
Grey walls around me take the light and try hard to come alive
The inanimate objects around my bunk reveal themselves slowly
Then fully awake, sudden reality causes terrible fear to knife through my being.
The reality of just where I am and what this morning means
I instantly feel sick and hot all over
I start to involuntarily shake
I need to go to the toilet urgently now
My mouth fills with bitter bile
I only just have time to reach the toilet before vomiting in the bowl
My stomach is in sudden absolute turmoil
I can hear the rumbling and groaning in my stomach quite audibly
I sit on the toilet and only release heaps of loud smelly gas.
It’s embarrassing as I’m sure it can be heard everywhere
I hear the footsteps then and rattle of keys as they come for me
I only just have time to wipe myself and pull up my pants.
Then they are there
Six of them
Would I like breakfast?
Would I like a cup of coffee?
I decline all.
I feel too ill right now to eat or drink
Would I like the Chaplain to say a few words it might help?
I decline the offer.
The Chaplain prays anyway, damn him.
One of the six looks at his watch
He says, “It’s time to go.”
They unlock the cell
I walk out into the corridor
Heavy fear makes my legs weak and wobbly as I stand there waiting
I wish I had never been born
I wish I really was guilty now.
I feel sudden anger at it all
Absolute frustration
I’m an innocent Man
Tears well up in my eyes from self pity
One of the six asks if I’m OK
Ok! What the bloody hell do you think!
I didn’t say it out aloud
Just nodded my head
It’s all useless they’ve heard it all before.
The six form a phalanx around me
One says, “Lets move out.”
We all move as one
Then one yells out for all to hear;
“Dead Man Walking!”

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