Hell or High Water

If you have to choose between Hell or high water,
I highly recommend Hell.

Yeah, it's got a bit of reputation
and the damned place gets really muggy when it storms,
but the bars are great
and they've got a killer community theater!
I'm partial to their productions of Faustus myself.

High water on the other hand...
well I've only heard stories about it.

There's no fire or brimstone,
just the deepest of darknesses
where the biting cold never turns to numbness.
It gnaws at your skin,
peeling you away little by little as it drags you deeper,
preserving and freezing your insides.

You'll start to glimpse your bones before you reach the bottom
gleaming treasures of ivory peeking out from your ruins,
ready to be buried beneath the sand.

Because that's what happens amidst the high waters.
They pick you clean
then bury you deep.
Somehow you still feel the pressure
even without skin,
taste the grit
without a tongue,
and watch as your grave is filled above you
without eyes or light.

At least, that's what I've heard.
So I'll say it again.
If you ever have to choose between Hell or high water,
do yourself a favor
​and choose Hell.