Self Talk

The blindfold slips away under currents of corrosive tears Shadows line myopic eyes in blistering haze Cataracts melt sightless accusations and brooding incisions A flickering candle waxes and wanes the stare Monosyllabic lines dance repetitions in the moribund chorus Sound out how far boundaries of sanity refrain A masked persona reverberates and berates piercing doubts Red hot pokers reveal a babble of puncturing focus When my soul parades on a tempting abyss of volcanic eruptions My Alter Ego becomes my best friend near the edge Honest reliable and trustworthy she voices concern and advice ‘Stay close to yourself’ she repels ashes and ember In starless nights her song recollects meaning from a lunar eclipse She never complains about the hardship I bring to task Simply challenges and embraces what is left in the seeds of darkness Sometimes shouts to overcome shrieking cacophony Beats the drum of retreat and leads muted reason onto the stage Demands an encore when I am again tangled in a veil She never asks for gratitude does not demand applause or acclaim Like a mother of pearl she will not pretend to be a diamond At face value she recovers my face and faith in an alchemist’s world And then her lips sing a lullaby instead of the eulogy 29th January 2020