within these accursed
tunnels...halls...edifices
once shining as testament
to the achievements of Man
I walk alone
to stem the invading evil
Hades’ flood gates accidentally opened
mining Mars
transporters used to beam
minerals back to Earth
somehow unlocked portal
to a parallel dimension
where none other than Lucifer reigns

weapons of all qualities...number
conveniently provided
by God or Satan…both?
to give me half a chance
test my worthiness to survive
body armor
stim packs...med kits
of varying sizes
to ensure health
even in small quantity
to continue the battle
found throughout these labyrinths
of multi-level spilled Hell



where only kill or be killed
defines my life now
slaying comrades who but days ago
stood by my side
fire their shotguns in blind obedience
intent to snuff me out
join their zombied cause
slaves to imps
who throw fireballs in ambush
mechanical spiders
spitting laser venom
monsters with claws and teeth
the size of daggers
manoeuvre to tear me apart
ten foot tall cyber demons
thunder towards me barely stoppable
once the right or wrong door is opened

and if I should die
as is often the case
a mere press of reset button
returns me to the fight
though for now only a video game
in reality
practical training for what lies ahead???

© 2002




1,410 hits as of November 2024

07/17/2013

Author's Note: DOOM, in its earlier incarnations...available on Super Nintendo, PC version, and later Nintendo 64, was not a complex video game by today’s standards. Still, the animation was acceptable...evocative, and though cartoonish in a dark kind of way, there was a certain realism to the zombies, imps, cyber demons, in the way they went about what they were programmed to do, that struck a deep primordial fear in me, that easily went beyond the graphic into the spiritual, as if the person or persons who had designed the game had themselves been to Hell...and yet somehow made it back. It was kill or be blown away...or worse...torn to pieces, and soon I took great relish in blasting everything in sight.

Posted on 07/18/2013
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti