memory medley

every thought arrives disjointed- somewhere
there are wires crossing and marbles rolling
haphazardly. i am scattered,
puffs of milkweed on the breeze
or ashes in the sea. i am neither
here no there, i am lost and
i am trying hard not to be scared.
there is a drumming in my head
and a pounding in my spine
(it hurts so much to think sometimes).
memories are mixing in
with snapshots of my dreams-
did i already tell you this, or
am i still imagining things?

full recovery

I could have lied. I
could have covered up the wound,
but I was too surprised
when I woke up in my room, bloody and confused-
no idea how I got there, no clue
where these stitches came from-
but lord! they are poorly done.
I called up my brother and asked him to come;
I ate too much food to numb the ache,
to cover the break- but we are all human
and I only gained weight.
Then like so many others before me,
I bit the bullet. I gritted my teeth,
I got out of bed, I lived through the grief,
and I waited a whole day before crying.