Shrieking and Wailing
Madness has come to get me today.
She whisked me out of the food line, and told me
I did not have a chance. I am a loser, a dupe, a pawn.
She put nails in my head, and drew blood from my teeth.
She kicked me unmercifully in my tenderest parts.
I was shrieking and screaming, trying to get away
But Madness had me pinned, and terrified.
She revered my shrieks, she encouraged me to thrash and scream
"You are noting!" she told me. "No one. A non-thing."
Frightened, I began shrieking more loudly,
Within myself, despising myself more than ever
Hating my inability to boot her out of my life.
"You can do better than that!" she coaxed me.
She tore my skin off, and punctured me with unhappiness.
It was painful, but not the worst I have endured.
A terrifying wolf's howl rushed out of the bowels of myself.
I expected to see madness turn tail and run.
Instead, she laughed, pleased.
No one came running.
I looked around the cafeteria.
No one had stopped talking.
No one had heard my silent shrieking or my wolf plea.
I am alone again, not one of the pack at all.
Copyright © Caren Krutsinger | Year Posted 2019
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