The poem follows a man through a terrible night and into the morning after. It begins with a sudden break: he feels his head "crack," weighed down by steel strings, while a "sea of violence" presses just behind his forehead. The air itself turns heavy and blue. Later, waking, he sees the air burst into orange flames he cannot control, and demons seem to cook and devour him. Judging by the imagery, this could be a nightmare, a breakdown, or a feverish episode; the poem never says which.
The mood is frightening and claustrophobic, with a feeling of being trapped inside his own body and mind. The morning brings no relief, only trembling, sweat, and the small act of wrapping himself in a towel, as if trying to hide. The ending is quietly sad: mercy drains away "like sand," and his eyes dart around, desperate to forget. What lingers is exhaustion and shame after the fear has passed.