We Share Nothing But a Cell Block

The ants crawl in perfect method, finding trails that were left for them, not sheep but those that keep their colony alive and out of wreckage. I clean white walls until the paint comes off, precision met with red hands turned raw. I can’t stand to see them dance while I’m still here fighting for just one more chance to show them I deserve it.

 

I’ve learned to search for needles in the carpet and buy dresses only when they fit; when everything is perfect, I’m told it’s worth it.

 

I claw at my skin in a failed attempt to see the bones that I’m covered in. I’m a skeleton of who I used to live with. What a dramatic descent into order and not madness - I can’t f*****g stand this.

 

I wish I could project what is in my head so we could watch it on screen instead of explaining what it all means. Why I act, why I laugh, why I reside in another world and can’t find my way back. I’m more lost than you could ever imagine.

 

We lay sleepless, repeating this, semi-charmed kinda life where everything is so fleeting that it’s difficult to find any meaning. I’m trapped above ground listening to the sound of this broken radio record, free of discord and all that makes it worth anything.

 

So don’t go picking flowers if you believe we’re all meant to grow, don’t go telling people things you were never meant to know, and keep your life out of pattern, routine, and rows. It’s slow going but they say it gets better, I keep watching the weather change as I age and pretend it isn’t exactly the same as it’s always been.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I like your poetry. It is honest and direct. The world does feel like a prison cell sometime. We must separate work and bills from relaxing time. Need to escape to the sea, the desert or forest and find some peace and calm. You made your point in the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[j.l. luna]

You are absolutely correct. We need to break free of the confines. What is your favorite escape?

[Coyote Poetry]

Forest or lake. I live in Michigan now. Spending time with Grandchildren is my peace now. Like my Ojibwa Grandmother. I allow them to run free and wild. Kids need to know freedom.

[j.l. luna]

That is so beautiful.