THE  27Th  EDITIOn

Conversation slurs inside my head

               the world closes in

                         and I take a deep breath

hold on to the sight of you

               my lifeline in this sea of fuzzy shapes

and words that tangle in my ears

               and lose all sense of meaning

I fade into silence

               melt into the walls

                          flee into my head 

                you catch my eyes

                mouth words at me

my eyes blur trying to follow meaning

                my functions feel obsolete

you pull me away from the clinging noises

                 that bounce against my brain

                         and pierce the space between

                    my eyes

 

               silence settles on my shoulders

a comfort in the frigid night air 

               your voice fills the gaps in the sidewalk

                          the familiarity of your tone 

                                    soothing the abrasions in my skull

my skin still feels unsettling

                and the world digs its teeth

                           into my arms

I shake the feeling away

                watch as the tingling fades

 

                         it’s the first time I feel relief 

                                       watching you walk away