the flight was delayed a half an hour

then we boarded and sat for half an hour

and then they had us get off and asked for volunteers to stay

but i remembered feeling the plane move

did we take off

crash as i was sleeping

and then begin a loop of flying and waiting and crashing forever

as we reboarded

i felt the plane move

but we didn’t move

or did we

is this purgatory

did we somehow manage a perfect balance of sinner and saint

and until the scales are tipped one way or another we are doomed to live this over and over again

i helped the lady in front of me with her bag

is that a point or a subtraction

are we moving

are we dead

i want to ask the people around me

but what if all of our minds have been wiped

what if i’m the only one who see the loop

is this my hell

do they exist

the cute college girl with mono

the lovely flight attendant

the gentlemen that i talked to about lost

are they figments

fragmentary pieces of my psyche given form and function until i balance out my internal sin ratio

are we moving

am i dead

i’m afraid to ask

afraid of the answer

just afraid

anxiety pulsing through me

we’ll land soon

we’re taking off

don’t sleep

fight it

attention passengers, we’re experiencing a slight delay, we are looking for three volunteers to stay behind, please exit the plane in an orderly fashion