Skin and bone

Held together by fine strands of tissue. Empty at an atomic level. Spinning, accelerating. An integrity guaranteed by physics, society. Individually apart, the same. Organic. Psychological complexity, false complexity.

  1. Skin

    Sticking on wet. Expected signs of
    language,

    1

    Learn a language in high school
Watch anime without subtitles
For hours the colours made sense
    discordant against a backdrop
    lacking

    2

    Air humid
In a stationary atmosphere
The edge of my body has no end
    representation. You
    speak,

    3

    Forgotten languages
I spoke as a child
Abandoned in silent recollections
    right? In worn expressions.

  2. Muscle

    Wrapped
    around

    4

    I read that in space
Astronauts work
As their muscles atrophy
    hard-shell. The freedom in
    imprisonment

    5

    Solitary confinement
Indefinite detention
Will unmake us
    through barbed wire hanging in camps.
    Held

    6

    Running for kilometres
Body aches and sweats
I chose to endure
    tight below the surface. Tearing.

  3. Bone

    Bleached in sunlight.
    Broken

    7

    White ground powder
In a white ground bread
This for the white giant
    through the surface. Hard,
    permanent.

    8

    Crouched over a computer
Work related injuries
Push ribs out against each other
    Unfailing frames of
    promise.

    9

    You always forget
Walls of skulls
War and occupation
    A sound cracking under weight.

  4. Marrow

    Clothed in
    tubes.

    10

    A sucking sound
Of the contents removed
From the intellect
    Bloodied in tight passageways, unable to find a
    way

    11

    I watched a documentary
A man drilled into his own head 
He survived
    out.
    Hostage

    12

    Trapped in the white bone
Stripped of identity
Your recourse is singular
    forgotten within the physicality.

  5. Mind

    Fragile,
    imaginary.

    13

    Recognising your own self
Through senses
You hope don't lie
    Constructed
    characteristics.

    14

    Mind collected
From events, history, relationships
I try to claim as my own
    A faux static
    realisation.

    15

    In calm control
In control
Control
    The shadow of unconsciousness. Echoing in empty rooms.

  6. Memory

    Incoherent whispers.
    Unfamiliar

    16

    My sister says
In winter your breath
Is like dragon smoke
    faces, unremembered
    places.

    17

    The house
Where the monkeys watched the cat
Days diluted among many others
    Difficult pieces of remembrance pushed under
    layers

    18

    In-between
Here and there
Skin and bone
    of skin, leaking emotions.