by David Lewis

Banging, clammering, frosted glass, muffled shouts
Beside me white wraiths give comfort
“We have the answer to World Peace”
No way to share, then ….

Nothing

Black sausages with red faces swaying
Rearing up to overwhelm
Purple clad person floats stage left
Disappears to the right…

Silence

Coloured orbs float around me,
Chamber filled with people
Gun pointed at me
A scuffle, a shot…

Blackness

Afar, red car draws up to a tower
Zoom in to follow driver
Round and round we climb
He jumps, I follow…

Flying

Earth races away from me
Whoosh
Halt
Behold awesome blue sapphire

Peace

Eyes open to
Chained by tubes and leads
Purple nurse greets me
“Hello” she says

And the work begins to get out of Intensive Care

 

Author’s note: “I am trying to communicate some of the experience when I was unconscious in ITU after a respiratory arrest. Three weeks in medical coma before awaking. The events still affect me and I hope my humble offering goes some way to improve our understanding of what it is like to be hallucinating while to all appearances one is unconscious.”