Ventricular Tachycardia

out for a road bike ride

my every-other-day

custom

for more

than a score

and seven

when I

rounded

a blind corner

to find

who

but Old Grim himself

standing there

big as life

smack

in the middle

of the lane

vibrating

with veins

bulging

from his neck

he raged

daring me to pass

already committed

to do much else

I took the dare

faked a move right

before

cutting back sharply

nearly made it too

still Old Grim

the bastard

always quicker

than you think

punched me

hard

down to the pavement

where he leapt

astride my chest

crouching close

to shove

his runny

open nose

against the tip

of mine

sulphur

plumbed the air

and the tug

of the beckoning

void

quivered

in the absence 

of his eyes

jabbing

an icy

forefinger

between my ribs

he rasped

"sooner or later

you god damned

 wheeze"

lifting my head

I gave him a little peck

on the side

of his putrid cheek

then whispered

up to his ear

"much later

if you please"

https://youtu.be/2Q_ZzBGPdqE