too close to know

sometimes you’re too close
to know your woman
is a snake twisted
around your trunk that
your job is just another slut
another slit wrist another
tryst ending in your hunched
shoulders over the bathroom
basin brazen face questioning
its reflection that your dogs
are only waiting for you
to die to feed upon your
hospitality that your shadow’s
grown tired of following
you that your television is
tired of entertaining you
that friends and family have
no idea who you really are
that your body is not your
own that your eyes see
what they want
to see that you dream
and you hope and you
want and you need and
dream impossible dreams
leftovers from madmen
on hot nights and that
when lightning strikes
it will leave only
the empty breath
of degraded sentiment
raping your freedom
raping your
soul and nobody knows
the troubles I’ve seen except for
you, you, and you and they
say that’s supposed to save
you but sometimes you’re
too close to know the
difference between salvation
and damnation and really
what’s the difference when
it’s all in your mind