I remain in slumbered thought
And yet my mind aches to go
To be what I should be
To know what I should know

And yet here I sit as always
My body fighting with my mind
The balance between them both
So off-kilter so unkind

The brain at war with the bones
The bones set in stubborn recluse
I fear not even an earthquake
Could shake my body loose

Stuck in that realm of isolation
Peering down on a grand parade
Wishing to be part of everything
Will no one come to my aid?

I’ve become like a stone statue
Watching the crowds pass by
Already in my coffin
Stuck in my mind’s eye

The world hums around me
I’m a lone spectator to the buzz
I remain in sequestered solitude
Free from what the world does

© 2023 Michelle Cook

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Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/sunset-woman-field-terrace-sun-5842173/