it's hard to resist an inflamed world once in a while,
when the tip to base follicle of each single hair,
that's every hair has a feeling, wavy or straight,
attached to a thought directly in the brain.
when goose-pimples begin at the base of the neck
and transcend outwards in waves until they
combine with afore-mentioned hairs on end.
when skin like thick jelly is numb, and excess
is drawn until each pore is sore with feeling.
you may not feel the hands upon you, but you shall
feel a thousand hands in every spot of skinless space,
when your nose feels cut to the bone and cold.
historical fragments of alien substance psycho-act,
confuse time and space over years:
the gas van that sold ice cream,
the paralysing dreams,
the fingertips which painted
dancing patterns in air
and the restorative power of apricot juice
in france.
i remember vividly, the heart attack fears,
and the shearing of de-sensitisation
as hurricane katrina occurred.
when i think about it,
there were copious amounts of bonjela
smeared on moments of clarity,
but the blaring light of beauty
was clearer than ever, when sleepless
with our weakness exposed together.
and the chemical abates, pulse returns to normal,
pupils no longer dilated, experiment over for another night,
yet we repeat this with various concoctions -
like the play poison i buried in the garden sometimes.
always, lights rises, and ears ring as the song
of morning birds tempts motion back to swollen lips.
i remember a time my cheek looked like i'd been punched.
tramping streets flushed with morning,
away from peeling paint, unadorned floors
and dirt between some four vibrating walls,
i've felt faint often - dehydrated, i radiate heat,
then freeze, and always, the blankness of the bathroom
is dangerous/disorientating,
as you swipe away the grime with grim tuesdays,
loose haze and a lack of perspective,
for which you prescribe wine, chocolate and chinese.
but i'll always have such memories to thank
for some profound revelations,
their small release paving the way
for compassionate things.
it's hard to resist an inflamed world once in a while.
when the sigh of speedy heartbeat booms on chest,
and the gasps for breath just choke out quietly,
when we all want to swallow the whole world whole.
