Oh...nothing...
Somebody came into my room
once.
It was a little after
three and the ray of light
from the crack
in the door
that she barely nudged open
shined directly
into my eye
and awoke me.
Somebody sat on my bed
once.
Told me
she couldn’t sleep
and placed her head
on my naked shoulder
and my naked bicep
soon found company
in the grip of her hand.
“Have you tried?”
I asked.
“Once,”
Somebody said.
“Well, what are you doing?”
“Thinking.”
“About what?”
“About Nothing,
and how Nobody
loves me.
About how Everyone
just laughs
and picks
and pushes me down.
About how Nobody
stands up to Everyone
and how Nothing
is the only thing
I have.”
As she talked her lips
brushed my hair
ever so gently
and for a second
I could swear that
her words painted
a portrait on the canvas
of my naked arm.
She continued to talk
about Nothing and Nobody
and Everything and Everyone
until she stopped mid-sentence
and looked up at me.
Her eyes caught a speck
of light that still floated
in from the hallway outside
and in the reflection
I saw absolutely
Nobody.
“You know?” she asked.
“I don’t even know who you are.”
Somebody sat there,
still laying next to my body
and awkwardly propped up
on one arm
just looking straight at me.
From the window above me
I heard a small twig snap
and fall from glory,
landing on my roof
and inch by inch
thump by thump
I heard it slide down
until it reached the end
and then
nothing.
“Who am I?” I said.
“Oh, I’m Nobody.”
once.
It was a little after
three and the ray of light
from the crack
in the door
that she barely nudged open
shined directly
into my eye
and awoke me.
Somebody sat on my bed
once.
Told me
she couldn’t sleep
and placed her head
on my naked shoulder
and my naked bicep
soon found company
in the grip of her hand.
“Have you tried?”
I asked.
“Once,”
Somebody said.
“Well, what are you doing?”
“Thinking.”
“About what?”
“About Nothing,
and how Nobody
loves me.
About how Everyone
just laughs
and picks
and pushes me down.
About how Nobody
stands up to Everyone
and how Nothing
is the only thing
I have.”
As she talked her lips
brushed my hair
ever so gently
and for a second
I could swear that
her words painted
a portrait on the canvas
of my naked arm.
She continued to talk
about Nothing and Nobody
and Everything and Everyone
until she stopped mid-sentence
and looked up at me.
Her eyes caught a speck
of light that still floated
in from the hallway outside
and in the reflection
I saw absolutely
Nobody.
“You know?” she asked.
“I don’t even know who you are.”
Somebody sat there,
still laying next to my body
and awkwardly propped up
on one arm
just looking straight at me.
From the window above me
I heard a small twig snap
and fall from glory,
landing on my roof
and inch by inch
thump by thump
I heard it slide down
until it reached the end
and then
nothing.
“Who am I?” I said.
“Oh, I’m Nobody.”