oh to be wooed by the siren mundane.
to dip your feet in the molten gold of morning
and not taste the bittersweet tang of metal
burning
scalding
hot
on your skin
instead of sunlight
to feel the liquid breeze wash your hair
thick and thin as a mother’s caress
soft
comfort
home
on your skin
without the hard pinch of nails
to tie words together with another
thin or thick rope made of soul
rubbing
burning
raw
on your tongue
without the taste of blood
to encircle a fellow skeleton in arms
friend, spouse, family, love
holding
hands
tight
around your neck
a noose in embrace
to fall straight into cushioned slumber
and not feel the brittle shard of rock
pressing
scraping
sharp
in your back
eyes wide open to hear
a whisper
a breath
to breathe with lungs made of plastic
in or out not collapsing
folding
falling
empty
in your chest
instead of keeping you alive
to write words made of diamond and silver
and not lose them in the rough, rust
aging
slowing
stuck
lodged in your throat
instead of dripping bright calligraphy
to live with blood running hot, warm
smooth as marble statue strong
still
growing
cold
as a corpse
a dead man walking
an animated cadaver
a ghost
to walk with both feet on solid ground
without slipping through the floor
split
fading
fog
one foot here
and the other…
somewhere
else
somewhere
worse
or better.
to not yearn to be fertilizer
with flowers bloomed from ribcage
life
color
hope
in your heart
at least then, you’d be alive
or not
or maybe, that’s better
to have a purpose outside your self
yours, theirs, the universe’s
uncaring
neutral
accepting
all you can offer
without judgment
without demands
free
of failure.
relief
to have no requirements of you
simply because you were born
free
relief
failure
in your bones
simply because you don’t know how to try
why try
when there’s no reason to succeed?
life will live
death will die
the universe, uncaring, neutral, accepting
to live a life with no demands
without apologies on your tongue
sour
bitter
sweet
is the taste of nothing
when nobody cares
if you get a job
if you get a car
if you get a house
if you get a family
if you want nothing
if you want everything
to not have to live in your body
made of flesh and bone and dust
crumbling
dirt
fertilizer
mixed with soil
for you were made with dust
and to dust you will return.
oh to be as free as the raven soars.
to simply breathe because you have lungs
to simply touch because you have skin
to simply run because you have legs
to simply hold because you have arms
to simply love because you have heart
to simply create because you are creative
to simply live because you were born.
no strings attached
no human teeth to chew you up
and spit you out
no fabric of mankind
weaving
tying
smothered
your fire into flashlight
off, on, the flip of a switch
light this room up for me
why?
because you can
why?
because why not
you can make money out of this
a talent
for a talent
a tit for a tat
this for that
if you give any less, you’re lazy
ungrateful
greedy
entitled
you must work for the wings to fly.
you must earn the siren mundane.
you must pay your way
to breathe.
plastic is expensive, you know
gold is for kings
not the miners
don’t you know
silver and diamond are rare birds, fly out of reach
easily spooked, easily stolen
cool water runs dry
liquid
molten
hot
blood comes with a price
do you have anything to give in return?
no?
you have no right to live, don’t you know
earn your keep
or we will tax your lungs
your heartbeat
beat
thump
break
my skull into bits, then
shatter it on the floor
pick up the pieces with bare hands
gloved
green
greed
i hope you bleed.
i did not ask for these lungs
this heart
this hollow skeleton
bleached
dull
invisible
to somehow carry this flesh made of ununoctium
air
nothing has never been so heavy
molten, cold
the sharp tang of metal mornings
copper
pennies
pinched
clock into work with calloused hands
you only stop when we say you can
if you want to live
comfort
warmth
slumber
nothing is for free, don’t you know
the siren weaves the lie, don’t you know
the illusion of flight
free
flying
breath
it comes with a price, don’t you know
pay it with your blood
she is not real.
sirens only lead to the rocks.
calamity
tragedy
catastrophe
nothing is for free, don’t you know
life
death
undead
a ghost
we see you there
that sheet costs $11.59
an arm and a leg
to slice you into pretty pieces
with silicone joints
bend
give
break
in our hands
without complaint
or you’re lazy
ungrateful
greedy
entitled
we can make money out of this.
you.
don’t you want a luxury?
what happened to your dreams?
ambition
drive
purpose
in your veins
painting red rainbow colors
work for it, earn it
a rocket into space
a siren led to treasure
flight?
mundane?
survival?
what happened to living?
work for it, earn it
breathe for us
bleed for us
live for us
we—you can make money out of this
don’t you want a luxury?
…
what if
what if
i just want to live
because i was born
to breathe because i have lungs
to touch because i have skin
to run because i have legs
to hold because i have arms
to love because i have heart
to create because i am creative
what if
what if
i don’t want money
glitter
greed
strain
on my soul
just because i have one?
i did not ask for these lungs
this heart
i was given them for free
without question
without asking
without demand
greed
entitled
i did not ask for these things
to walk with a head held high
and not get sent to the guillotine
chop
slice
clean
through my throat
to fuel society’s thirst for blood
why must we pay to live?
to breathe?
to bleed?
i did not ask for this
so do not ask it of me.
areudirty
origamiaround
theartofmadeline
dededos
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
blakekathryn
