everyday is a saddening bore,
every fiber of my being knows
i could have been, should have been something more.

mice crawl through the vines
that intertwine through the depths
of my darkened mind.

i should have been a pair
of ragged claws, scuttling across the
floors of silent seas.

i should have been falling down
twelve stories silently, beautifully,
tragically, not making a sound.

i should have been sinking
with rocks tied to my heart and ankles,
so maybe i could stop thinking.

instead, i countinue to breathe.


but sometimes I still think of ropes
swinging in the midnight breeze
when i look at the trees.
(cjw)