The King Of Pain {A Short Story Poem}

Calvin feels the pain of what is causing people around him to die suddenly.

Calvin shot up out his sleep; the pain just laced his dome,
excruciation at its best; it made him pace his home,
a few Aleves did nothing only made the aching worse,
he couldn't even think of what he'd done that made him hurt.

An hour and some minutes passed; it felt much longer still,
his cabbage had the pain like it exploded on the real,
the cell phone rang like thunder bolts; it made him contemplate,
a visit to the ER; first he'd chat with Auntie Kate.

"Auntie how you doin?" Calvin greeted with a wince,
it hurt him just to move his mouth; he felt the need to sit,
upon the couch; around the house, the silence was a mess,
when Auntie said, "I called because they killed your cousin Tess."

"They what?!" Calvin inquired with a tone that shocked his ears,
the answer to his inquiry was still a shock to hear,
"The bangers dropped her in the street; she's not one to be home,
there ain't much left cause Tessa took a shotgun to the dome."

They talked a few more minutes 'fore his auntie killed the call,
his cousin's crew; it seems the streets had went and killed 'em all,
Cal dropped his head and reminisced of all the said days gone,
that's when he realized there was no more pain; his headache gone.

The Next Day

Sitting at his desk made Calvin think of lotto cash,
and how you learn some lessons that are just not taught in class,
his cousin's death was on his mind and focus wasn't there,
you didn't have to live the life to know it wasn't fair.

He coughed a time or two and felt a dull pain radiate,
throughout his chest and figured gas or what he maybe ate,
that's when the boss Dan Evans bobbed and weaved towards his desk,
there must be something wrong and Calvin thought the sort of mess,

to bring Dan from the 7th floor must be some kind of bad,
his role was boss but old boy thought himself some kind of dad,
the pain became much worse as Dan stepped up along the side,
Cal felt so out of sorts; 'My God' he thought, 'I'm gonna die.'

"Calvin!" Dan yelled out; "Did you receive those documents?
Cause what the system's telling me is making not much sense.
There must've been an error that occurred so check it close,
it may be something minor but with these you never know."

Calvin nodded briskly for the chest pain had him sewed,
like stitches have you closed or trying to fix some tattered clothes,
"I'll get right on it." Calvin said which made Dan nod and leave,
the man walked not three feet before collapsing on his bean.

The old man shook and shivered; he was foaming from the mouth,
to Cal it looked as though Dan's light was surely going out,
the clerk Jan dropped and ripped the shirt from off his fatty chest,
then listened 'fore she yelled out, "He's in cardiac arrest!"

The aftermath can only be described as kinda nuts,
the vessel had exploded in Dan's heart; his time was up,
as Calvin sat and thought of all that Dan would never do,
it wasn't lost upon him that his pains had perished too.

6 hours later....

Cal was at a loss to rise above or peep the game,
that had him in the midst of feeling other people's pain,
before they passed away; a castaway is how he felt,
it seemed like church had beckoned him so there's where now he knelt,

in front before the alter praying, "Someone help me please,
it can't go on like this so let me die or let me be."
A priest appeared from nowhere; clergy shirt was collar free,
their eyes met 'fore he summoned lightly, "Please son, follow me."

They walked into the inner sanctum; left turn then a right,
the back halls were awash in orange and yellow burning light,
they came upon a kitchenette still dark though light was near,
the priest sat Calvin down and said, "I know just why you're here.

"You feel the pain that others do when at the brink of death,
it's frightened you so now you want to try and think what's next,
there's nothing next young Calvin in this mighty blend of things,
you're living in a paradox; your whole life's been a dream."

Calvin shook his head confused like, "Father whacha mean?"
The priest responded with the question, "Calvin, what's a dream?
An act of your subconscious mind that's like a kind of thirst,
you're stuck between two worlds because my son, you died at birth."

"The pain you felt's your last connection of a passing life,
you grew up here 'cause babies never die; see that's just trife,
you've grown up in a world that's manufactured like a car,
and if you don't believe, these folks can tell you more by far."

The shadows moved like bushes when a breezy wind goes by,
and Calvin's head felt gone like off a dreamy indo high,
two people now stood by the priest and wasn't nothing less,
than shocking; it was big boss Dan beside his cousin Tess.

"What are y'all two doing here?" Cal asked with no regard,
Tess answered "We've been there for all your life; I know it's hard,
to comprehend but we're your parents and you felt us die,
we don't know what the future brings my son but let us try."

Calvin moved towards them feeling the familiar ache,
of trying to hold the tears back but he still could feel them break,
through retinal defenses that are known as burning eyes,
he hugged his parents tightly with the whole scene turning white.

Calvin shot up out his sleep bewildered and confused,
'A dream' he thought while trying to catch a sliver of the news,
he got out of the bed while laughing; shameful by the time,
he slept but wincing at the sudden pain behind his eyes.

©2017
The Cunning Linguist

Author's Note

Alot of my short story poem ideas come from song titles, and this one is no different.