The House of the Dead II

23 November 2023

I remember, back when it all started,
somebody explained that I'd gained
for my trouble a "foot in the door,"
but the room smelled like death,
and nobody else cared or noticed.
Much worse, later on, I discovered
that most of the others had acclimated,
now even preferring that smell
to the smell of the earth, which,
though also containing death, has strong notes
of rebirth, which the house of the dead
seems to lack and refuses to even acknowledge.