Away

I am not a name

The person that I was

perished with the dreams

that held him together

Though I still remember them.

I am not a voice

Too many have

spoken through me

For me to call, one among them

My own

My memories are old leaves

I cast into the fires I see

Just in case

They may burn a little brighter

I am not a body

For hunger, pain and thirst

Are real only in a world

With water, comfort and food

Other bodies, apart from mine

Which I must still mind

If I am to sustain this one

I am not a soul 

For in fear I may waver

From what I believe to be true

And in any case,

The One that was my soul

Has shattered into many

They prick uncomfortably,

The pieces, like a seashell

You may step on 

While walking along a beach

The tide are waves of voices

They wash over my thoughts

Which trace a line along the horizon

It passes through moments

Which I identify as poignant

Before the weight of living

Draws me back 

To work, home and hearth.

22nd July, 2019