The Doors Parted

Biblical Elevation

The doors parted

as did the Red Sea
and the reversing numbers burned "down" in orange
like the bush near Moses

and me

lowering myself

into Biblical times

to get to the lobby

to get into the street

to get to the subway

to get to work

to face the great plagues

of supervisors,

and memos

and cubicles

I had left the warm teat

of my heaven

and Otist my way

down into the inferno

a descension into Hades,

with paychecks and conference tables

all to return,

as Persephone to her mother did

to the angelic gate on floor 24

to descend into slumber,

and to dream

of epochs

where kings and servants

once lowered and elevated

their titles,

moving only upon steps . . . .