Untitled #29

Suddenly I’m waiting with all the others
Carrying boxes into tight elevator shafts
And staring blankly forward
As some remedial human beings
Take a moment to themselves
To think about whether or not I’m familiar

I only wish I could tell them that the me they see
Isn’t exactly like the one they think they know
From the TV set
But nevertheless
At this point
I’ve learned that it’s easier to just not speak

My participation in much of anything has reached an all-time low
Even breathing feels like a task
All the air in the brown and red spaces
Undeniably stale

I find myself coughing up more than I’m taking in
Each new statement
Angered face screaming for a cause
Less than structurally sound

It’s all gonna collapse in on us
And yet I try not to believe it
Considering that such brashness
Sounds so much
Like everything else I’m used to hearing

I buy earplugs to ignore
Only to realize later
That their soft hum
Is overwhelmingly clear

It beckons me out of the cold and centered
Towards a great white light
That I almost have to force on myself
I now feel what they all are feeling
I see where it’s all going
And I can relax for awhile
Knowing that we’ve managed to find each other
Despite the fact that our eyes no longer explode at the sight

- C.W.