Just for me

by Jo
(Melbourne)

There’s something inside me that you can’t see

Twisted, wound tight like a tangle of pulsing vines
Thick, knobbly, grey, it tightens and squeezes
It’s taken over my body - why can’t you see?

There’s something here on me that you can’t see
Cold, hard metal collar, heavy chain, weight doesn’t ease
Attached to the earth, it pulls, drags, cuts
It’s right here - why can’t you see?

There’s something out there that you can’t see
A darkness, a weight, heavy black and alive
It hovers, growls and terrifies, reaching everywhere
It’s just there - why can’t you see?

Come back, here, now
Quiet and alone
In this body they see, not entirely my own
Feel it, don’t say it – perhaps it’s just for me