cassidy cleland-nissen

Frantically climbing my way
through a dimly lit hallway.
A bare light bulb buzzes
bright burning blue.

I try to run,
but the weight of my legs
becomes too much.

Screaming infants and crying women
fill the sound.
The walls violently shake
with each heart’s pound.

Around every corner,
He stands waiting for me.
His eyes do not look,
but he sees me,
all of me.

There is a force, a magnetic pull,
it’s dark, like a black hole.
It says to go with him,
but I won’t.

Fingers dig deep into flesh,
his eyes burning
with a wildfire raging inside.

With nowhere else to hide,
I close my eyes.

Loving, long eared puppies,
and laughing blonde babies
upon the emerald earth.

I open my eyes.

Silence and
soft snoring,
a dog licks it’s bowl.

I am safe here.



Reoccurring Past Life/oil pastels/april 2026