Self-Absorption
By Michael Roque

 

Self-absorption
sits on top of the senses,
cutting circulation off to clear thoughts.
Delusion straddles a reliable horse ridden rugged,
strains four legs forward toward dreams, things—
wants.

Stomps his hooves,
tosses the head.
Neighs, blows, snorts—
for food, for rest—
but is spurred to speed up.

Self-absorption—
Me, me, I, I on the mind,
the thoughts it thinks—
thoughts so loud they drown out
the heat, the sweat on the brow,
the pet horse’s needs.

Drags his hooves,
hangs the head.
Not a neigh, blow or snort
for food, for rest it needs—
just digging, skin-scraping spurs shrieking for speed.

Outside self-absorption,
the mind boiling over with “Me”s and “I”s—
the faithful horse dies.
Now, two legs untrained,
find loneliness on an isolated plain.

.

 

Bridge of Planks Divided

A bridge of fifty planks—
aligned—
a sturdy walkway
over raging waters, sinking fate,
to new land—
beyond dismay.

 

A plank—
one—
two fall astray,
adding to a fracture,
making the sturdy shake.
Left to right swings the structure,
bringing crossing legs to tremble—
give way.

 

A skeleton bridge of united planks—
divided by gaps—
open space,
warns in whispers, “Stay.”
“Ropes too untwined,
no strength to carry feet away.”
Each movement
bids farewell to another plank,
further sealing—
an isolated dismay

.

Under Painted Grace

Impoverished child—
for nickels, dimes—
bought by beauty.
Taught grace,
not from love—
but life confined.

Glamour-touched teen—
trained to speak—
to walk
for lust-filled eyes.
Stripped of name,
wrapped in robes,
to the highest bidding price—
child purity sold.

Woman fully realized—
through fog of an aged mind—
drifts upstream
from cherry-colored Kyoto
to childhood slum
on a seaside,
the missing sister,
the parents long passed.
All gone—
without goodbye.

 

 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael Roque discovered his love for poetry and prose amid friends on the bleachers of Pasadena City College. Now he currently lives in the Middle East and is being inspired by the world around him. His poems have been published by literary magazines like Ink Pantry Publishing, WordCity Literary Journal, Hot Pot Magazine and others.