She said to try and relax

What if I kept perfectly still
Would I cease to exist
Blending in with the furniture,
Carpet, and remotes that make up
My surroundings.

Would I go to a place
Where dreams lay asleep

My world being built in reverse
The walls coming down
Leaving a vacant lot
Where a house once stood

The opposite of neither here
Nor there

An outline surrounding you
When my head begins to ache
A shimmering ghost of your
Movement

The echo of your life
Shining through you
Falling within itself
A mirror facing a mirror


I’m still

Wounds in the Back take longer to heal

I’ve cleaned my plate
While others piled on
Conversation

I’ve gained weight
While others forgot about stop signs
and using a signal to change lanes

Ordinarily
I wouldn’t comment
But a passerby mentions, “beautiful day”
Age lines sagging his face
He recognizes the panic in mine

I turn and sprint home.