Qui suis-je,,,deja vu
by Melanie Bishop

Qui suis-je...deja vu...

old creaking joints
skin drawn tight
across skinny bones

lips once soft, smooth
pulled slightly apart
reveal stained yellow teeth

what is this?
hideous form caught in bright daylight___
it blinks while day dreams of tea party's
and lacy pink dresses, trailing soft summer flowers

feeble, mind dull, stops and grins again
with crag like hills and valleys
that roam unstoppable now
my face, it's face, slid from its once firm place___
a face that shadows me.

deep cracks crisscross the map of my soul
am I dreaming?
where am I? oh god, drooling again
wrapped up in a dream of tiny hands
slim legs, grown brown from the sun___
now ancient thick ropey trunks

useless feeble slow when once I know
yes, once I know I ran deer footed
and laughed, laughed out loud
at clown shaped clouds in deep blue skies.

has become just an harsh hacking sound
I walk and my sour stink rises before me
rank smell of death, ripe with decay
yet still walking, it stumbles in the darkness of my mind.

a mere shell, it's naked body covered with soars
Is there no mercy, no end?
it stands and hopes for wings, wings to fly
the face pulls a grotesque grin
some were, a sparrow sings
forgets and moves on.

gravity wins this fight to stand up
as tears fill the rivulet's of her ruined, she weeps
weeps for one brief moment her face,
is as it once was.
qui suis-je, she forgets but again, drooling walks on.

(Copyright 2008, Melanie Bishop)