POETRY | MENTAL HEALTH
The Transference of Being
Free Verse Poetry — On Dysphoria
“Our backs tell stories
no books have the spine to carry”
― Rupi Kaur, quote
I can’t get out of this skin
the zipper seems stuck
tugging only bruises the surface —
I itch, itch to be free
This arm is not my arm
nor these legs mine —
I slept the coma of death
and someone, some thing replaced me
I was sucked out through the nostrils
like an Egyptian queen on her death bed
and embalmed into this —
this whatever I’ve become
I have become numb —
this world holds no delights for me
I stay holed up in this dank dwelling
in search of home
©2014 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved. (Revised 2020)
This is in response to Christina M. Ward’s article on 12 Poetry Quotes that Teach us About Loving Ourselves — Quote #12: “What story does your back carry?”
Thank you for reading my poem. Perhaps you may enjoy this one:
Lori Carlson writes poetry, fiction, articles and personal essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, and the LGBTQ+ community. She currently writes for Illumination,💜The POM💜 , The Friday Fix, House of Haiku, Know Thyself, Heal Thyself, The Purple Pen, Tempest in Under 1000, The Weekly Knob, The Rebel Poets Society, Heart Revolution, Share the Love, Spiritual Tree and Written Tales.
