I am confined in purgatory's cage, pacing back and forth, rattling an occasional bar or two. And as I stare off into the expanse of My impalpable future, I see her sitting perpendicular to Me, with parallel tits, chin up, and gaze transfixed on My thorax.

In two days I will find out if I live or die.

In the meantime, I will continue to rattle My bars in petty defiance, as teenagers in Vernon lose their virginity, bored cats devour baby sparrows in Altadena, and Terrence, the black vagrant on Sepulveda Boulevard looks for his other shoe.