A poem about life. |
Shrill chirping climbs into an open ear. Delivers a series of blows to the brain. Light taps build to crushing blows. Unable to ignore; eyes flutter open. Hand falls heavy upon the clock. Killing the electric annoyance. The chirping retreats carrying with it Assorted pieces of the previous night’s dreams. Other pieces are shaken free as Their owner swings into a sitting position. The few remaining pieces are washed away by A sudden rush of warm water. They float atop loose hairs, Down rivulets that run over A stomach which grows bigger each day. Most then drop from the bottom of the swollen belly Onto the cold, hard bottom of the tub, Quickly succumbing to the suction of the drain. Strips of bacon twitch and shrivel in a pool of their own blood, As eggs expand in the very same pool. The eggs and bacon conspire in the mouth. Beginning their trek to the veins. Cholesterol builds dams that may someday Cut off the flow of the blood through the veins. The man continues to eat Unaware of the murderous plot That is being carried out within his body. The man continues to eat Like the car he drives to work consumes gas. Sitting on the freeway. Congested. Cars creep ahead of one another. All the while chewing on decayed dinosaurs. Ten minutes late to work. Feet travel a worn path to a box Consisting of three-and-a-half sides. Computer comes to life, Begging to be touched. Fingers caress the keyboard, Kissing letters and numbers One at a time, Sequentially, Forming words. Headset crowns a shiny scalp. The mouth looks upon a microphone That allows the man to be friendly. The ear houses a speaker That allows the man to be rejected. Five ‘o’ clock travels a long, winding road to the office. A clock brings salvation. Headset rests on the desk top like The car the man drives away from work sits On the freeway. Congested. Meatloaf and Home Improvement Greet him as he enters his house. Belly and brain beg for rest. The bed from a nearby room Creaks an invitation as the man’s wife slides into bed. Feet first under the covers. Head sinks into a worn sack of feathers, As pieces of a dream long forgotten Climb out of the drain, Pick themselves up off the floor, And come together in The darkness behind a pair Of rapidly moving eyeballs. (Repeat 9,100 times and then continue on to the next lines) Shrill chirping climbs into an open ear. Delivers a series of blows to the brain. Brain refuses to acknowledge. Brain unable to acknowledge. Blood flow stopped by a dam, Built by cholesterol. After thirty-five years, The bacon and eggs have Ended the cycle. |