A Distant Land

I’m numbed like a Civil War soldier
prepared for amputation,
shocked like the mentally ill
facing operation…

I fade away to a distant land
where fear and courage collide
under peppermint skies,
the air leaves a distinct taste
of aged formaldehyde,
marshmallow seas give life to poppy seeds
overseen by fun house mirrors
and their evil eyes inside.

When I come down,
frontal lobe removed,
I’m not the same,
I feel insane, and so sick,
stigmatized, cold shouldered…

Back home, I’ve sunk into depression –
between the devil and the deep blue seas
and I can’t swim…
so I ache to return,
to run away, run away.
So come with me,
as I slip from reality…