Hell's Gate

Artist Unknown

Hell's Gate
by John Trent

The gates to hell were painted black
Humidity’s tears gathered on its steely bars
Summer’s late moon made fast its inspection
As caged shadows moved on the ancient floor

Stagnant and heavy the weight of night's heat
Remnant from a cloudless Southern day
Windless and still, we drowned in our fears
As sweat left trails on each darkened face

Alone, yet together, we stood in the dark
The smell of the unknown lingered heavy on our minds
We imagined the savagery that ultimately would come
As the noose of fear tightened round our throats

The rusty hinges screamed in the night!
With its echoes crashing through our youthful souls!
The silence broken to the clatter of each link
Youth’s innocence lost to the sound of a lock

Our captors hid in the blackness of hell
Their penetrating eyes could be felt, but not seen
The moment neared to unleash their fury
In the windless still of that August night’s heat

The glare of the lights blinded in an instant
Our minds blurred as time lost its meaning
The sounds of footsteps in a quiet march
As the demons inspected their unsuspecting prey

One by one, they slithered forward
Their eyes were absent as were their souls
One by one, they returned to the darkness
Preparing to feast on the fears of the young

From above, we heard it's thunder
His greeting accented by a sadistic smile
“This is your home, a fortress of Hell,
Prepare for the madness for now it begins”

Within those moment the nightmare erupted
Mayhem and evil exploded from the black!
Deafened by screams from their savage attacks
We began to fall as they ripped us apart

Our youth was consumed with each savage bite
As the monsters exposed each weakness we had
Thunderous eruptions took our voices away!
Silenced, in anguish, our plight had begun

Sobbing, the laughter, so confused the night air
Time had slowed as our fear took control
Minds were breaking, we were slowly consumed
Our captors were not done, they lusted for more!

The suffering continues through the heat of the night
Our souls lay twisted on that ancient floor
Cries from the broken, "Please, let us go home!"
The demons returned to devour their souls

Our spirits beaten by a cadre of pain
Eroding the ideals of our youthful past
“Were we in purgatory or were we in hell?”
So dark, so hot, we remained so still

The gates of redemption were painted black
Humidity’s sweat gathered on the steely bars
Summer’s late moon made fast its inspection
As another year had past on this hot August night

Stagnant and heavy, the weight of the heat
Remnant from a cloudless Southern day
Windless and still, they were drowning in fear
As sweat marched down my expressionless face

Alone, yet together, we impatiently waited
Our lust for revenge weighed heavy on our minds
No way to fathom the savagery at hand
Their nooses cinched, then I slammed the gate closed!