Over-eager got my stomach pumped,
still-faced and taciturn and all the people
stumbling around me, my mother walked her fingers
along my forehead like butterfly kisses.
I felt I could breathe fire, spitting up bursts of fuel,
launching my guts out of my body like fireworks
and everybody terrified of me, a dragon
bloodthirsty, unconcerned and losing her mind.
I have the impression of being drawn along
by a long conspiracy of coincidences that move
me closer to the worth of all my work –
holding my breath, counting my toes,
cutting each line parallel to the next -
work that stops car wrecks from happening
and keeps my fingernails from falling off.
Waking up again reminded me of some circle of hell
where the over-eager were banished, near-comatose
tapping out each of their hiccups and laughing
to keep from screaming.
I just want to sit next to myself,
a ghost holding the hand of a body
full of oxygen.
There are ten million ways to love yourself
and I could only think of one.
[© 2010 Sophia Nelson]
Notes
-
twofish reblogged this from gravityworks and added:
More unfinished poetry. Needs tweaking. Opinions welcome.
-
demonsanddahlias liked this
-
groins said:
This being a first draft, I implore you: whatever you do, don’t change the ending.
-
twofish reblogged this from gravityworks
-
gravityworks posted this
