what could be worse

i shudder at what could have been
if i hadn't escaped

the clutches of the demon
possessed.
i try to find a comparison.

being in the dentist's
chair

for a year. the drill bearing
down
on my teeth,

or locked in an elevator
with judge judy.
or donald trump.

tax time. a colon cleansing.

i think of the dmv.
the endless wait.
or the car inspection
with the man holding a greasy
filter
wanting you to inspect and decide.

or sunday mass at high noon,
the incense and smoke
burning my eyes as i pray
on throbbing knees.

i shudder and think of all
these things,
but nothing can ever compare

to what it was like,
having her
living here with me.