doppelgänger

Syntax & Skin — my poetry series where language becomes a vessel for exploring the lived human experience

from the cage

i watch myself—

sitting on the

bus stop bench

earbuds in, humming to

the beat of newfound peace.

~

she holds my dreams

in a plastic bag—

wrapped around

that lazy wrist

swinging too low

as if they are not made of glass.

~

saliva drips

from the corners of my lips,

sprinkling on metal bars

demanding contentment.

~

i watch her,

so ditzy and distracted

as the driver arrives—

DESTINATION: unobtainable—

a quarter-mile west.

~

i see her spring

a life in footsteps—

something shattering

as she skips on

to become

all i am not.

~

drool now puddled

in my damp fabric lap,

taunting shards laugh

with torn plastic

frisking beside her face

with that pitiful smile.

~

she mouths our name

in fogged windows—

before i fall limp,

as the bus shuttles off

to whichever place

leaves

the least amount

of memories

and me.

---

If you’ve come across this, you’ve just read the sixth poem of my “Syntax & Skin” series! Thank you so much for reading, as I hope that my work can touch the hearts and souls of many. Keep a look-out for more short stories, poetry, film/literature analysis, and op-eds!