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Friday, May 29, 2015

Numb

I numb myself
so it doesn’t envelop
me,

so it doesn’t hurt.

Wrapping myself
in my invisible protective coating,
I withstand the quills
of every porcupine I meet,

and I seem to know
an endless supply of them.

My gallery of scars
suggests my plan
isn’t foolproof.

When mistreated,
I just numb myself,
and then I experience it
as though I am watching
a black comedy
starring a tragically
bumbling
protagonist.

Through denigration
neglect and abuse,
I stand firm and
do not fall
in the public eye.

I confess only
to God and this blank paper
as I fear neither.

In the solitude
of an empty parking lot,
with ink and prayer
I step out of the numbness
and inspect my puncture wounds,

some of which
go 51 years deep.

2 comments:

  1. "I confess only
    to God and this blank paper
    as I fear neither."

    -- oh, goodness. I.Love.This.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What De said. I really like similarities between wiring paper and God. Also the 51 years deep punctures breaks my heart a little.

    ReplyDelete