Dante's Path by Joseph DiLella

Dante’s Path
by Joseph DiLella

Which ring are you burning in?

I pray it’s not the one reserved for thieves, murderers and rapists
--is it? Oh, I see –
you’re the one huddled in a fetal position
a visceral version of Tardarus
with a spouse, baby and children nipping at your heels
day and night, night and day,
screaming for more of anything, everything, all of things
necessary for what we call life on this plane of existence.

What’s that?

It’s worst?

Of course . . . you’re in that special place
under the gun, under a hot sun of eternal heat
that beats down on you as you type, call, dictate, beg, cajole, bargain for the best deal
while chained to a desk in a condemned building.

With the time you have remaining
in a mortal coil,
think twice before taking another nine to five
forty hour plus job
that forces your square peg
into a round hole
with superiors, or so they’re called,
that you see in the corner of your eye
dressed in red, carrying pitchforks during the off hours
even after Halloween office parties.

Seize the day, Carpe Diem, they say
for the terminated
after hours
may be worse than the HELL
you’re living in . . . today.

Author bio:

Joseph’s love for fantasy and fiction goes well back to his youth when he cut his teeth on authors like Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne, and George Orwell. Television also influenced his writing as he became immersed in the original Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and his favorite, the original Star Trek staring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. In later years, Joseph had the privilege of pitching stories to Paramount Studios for later incarnations of the Trek saga (ST: Voyager and ST: Enterprise) and had a story sale in principle until low ratings forced the network to cut two episodes from the fifth and final series production schedule. Joseph’s short story, “Cheating Destiny” was a finalist selection for Pocket Books’ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Volume Ten) in 2007. Today, Joseph is a fourth year Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at Eastern New Mexico University. Regardless of his day job responsibilities, he has managed to publish twenty-four short stories and poems in his college’s literary magazine, El Portal, and other fine publications such as Clockwise Cat, Alienskin Magazine, The Battered Suitcase, Lorelei Signal, Aoife’s Kiss and Bewildering Stories.