severed noose fashion statement
dragging hemp through the mud
tracks leading in circles
too busy to recognize prints
spend time chasing echoes
capture something almost forgotten
chaffing and bleeding to keep awake
sleep is a dangerous state

one eye open
seeing shapes in the dark
comforting awareness
disconcerting apathy
sleep brings truth in circus form
flying and juggling, popcorn and clowns
making sense is secondary
survival is first

letting the day wash away
is not the same as a life down the drain
hoarding world’s paint supplies
won’t paint a masterpiece
que sera, sera
tell it the best you can
standing firm and proud and fearless
or at least sensible, unlike me

stepping lightly
among germinated fields
brushing fingertips
along youthful exuberance

sipping dew drenched lips
through misty afternoons
blinking back webs
to return to the moment

tripping slowly
with unreal fascination
laughing silently
in blatant abandon

keeping the pitying smile in check
as she railed against all I was
battering me with insults
I knew exactly what she meant
even as she blamed everyone else
for her turmoil
she itemized my perfection
my ivory tower and knight
my unblemished countenance
while ignoring the blatant scars
I camouflaged tenderly
dismissing my tear tracks
blind to all I had that wasn’t real

she saw scenery
thinking it was the whole play
I think she must have nodded off
during the second act