I walk and talk
as they do,
feeling the earth
beneath my feet,
wishing I meant
the words I speak.

I see them
on the other side
of the chasm,
bottomless
and unbridgeable,
laughing and smiling,
waving me over.

They don't see it at all.

All I can do is watch them,
grit my teeth,
and shake my head no,
as I mouth the words
I can't, I can't...
and they laugh,
and nod yes...
yes...of course you can.

They can't see it,
so they laugh.

The sound pelts me
like hailstones
and I wither inside
as I stifle a scream,
wanting not to see it either,
wanting to gouge my eyes out,
and believe
in the solid ground
between us.

I am not sure
which of us is hallucinating...