by LJ Frank
This series seeks to understand some of the differing faces of estrangement and the crossroads it approaches for good or ill.
the climb and descent is steep
it matters not in the end
perhaps the mountain is really just an illusion
depending on pretext and circumstance
whom to trust as guide or mentor
no longer possesses meaning
for darkness rules
when the light is no more
the body collapsed in my arms
without anger
only hurt
and I found agony has no vocabulary
tragedy is a ruthless hunter
yet belief for some
is a soothing massage oil of the mind
still, the heart seeks depth
to fathom the nuances of a life
that was lived with dignity
amid pitiless suffering
the body contained a brain
a member of the preponderance of learners
certificated with a faux sheepskin
knowing deep within
the study of the humanities
is a bait-and-switch scheme
while the network of fair-weather friends
cast furtive glances
the therapists possessed a corporate finger
pressed against the skin
a pulse lingers then fades
for the wind blows in from afar
and the mask of death
is in want of a consoling smile
waiting for the next day’s sun to appear
for the living
and a shadow appears in the doorway
words suggesting patience
knowledge yet forthcoming
and the rigid body is silent
while lying cold on a table
lost
tears form scars on the cheek
while the entitled bathes in the sun
and the pawn is without a voice
oh gravity! where is thy pull?
a needle sucks out the soul
in its most primitive of meaning
the body now cries in absence
the blood is mitigated with a cleansing agent
before entering the artificial bowels below the feet
and the human conscience
kneels in prayer
but God is found to be faceless
except in the human imagination
and the tears have come too late
the sacred name is a hallowed tool
and blasphemy a self-righteous game
the bread and wine is served
and the communion is an acknowledgment
the body and blood of estrangement
symbolism has gone terrifyingly awry
for the entombed body’s home
is a stranger in a strange place
and the spirit appears
only in the memory of the living –
for who shall offer the final blessing,
when all life vanishes?