Brewed Awakening

I packed a duffle, excluding devices, and flew to Peru like a hippie in crisis
A two-hour ride from Machupicchu – nineteen psychonauts up the wazoo
Into the mountains, two miles high, we hiked to a camp by the riverside
I found my shaman, a woman quite old – my curandera maestra, a healer of souls

Ayahuasca was brewing, the smell of dirt soup – I choked back a cup and just about puked
My senses spun 'round and drew me inside, with spirit creatures as all-knowing guides
And then they showed me in vivid, sharp relief, my unconscious thoughts, my secret beliefs
Appearing as vile, distorted forms, feeding on bias and tribal norms

As we probed deeper, grief turned to dread – I watched how memes invaded my head
The knowledge I'd seen as true and exact, was riddled with lies and alternative facts
My brain had wearied from constant attack, failing to keep my intuition intact
The choices I'd always assumed were mine, adhered instead to the company line

I wanted to flee this frightening scene: Existential dilemma – I was inside of me!
Then one of the spirits asked me my name – I said Terry Mack, am I going insane
Don't be afraid, she said with a smile – the wisdom you're gaining will make this worthwhile
And despite all the damage, it's never too late – the loss of free will need not be your fate

My friends awoke, bent over and sick – one grabbed my arm, and described his own trip
He saw an angel so seemingly kind – making her home inside of his mind
She clicked on a tablet and started to scroll, as he felt his volition stream from his soul
Then he saw cities in darkness and ruin – desolate streets where bodies were strewn

What does it mean, I asked the man
He looked into my eyes and squeezed my hand
I saw our future as clear as your face
I saw the end of the human race... Go now