LOST UPON THE SEA OF NOTHINGNESS
BY JAMES A. GALGANO
I WANDERLUST LOST WITHIN A BOX OF CUDDLY TOYS
NOW THREAD BARE FILLED WITH DUST MITES
AND DEVOID OF THE JOY THAT ONCE ERUPTED FROM MY CHILD’S EYES
I RAKE THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEIR MEMORIES
WHICH LAUGH ALOUD IN MY NOW SOLEMN FACE
HEARING ONLY THE ECHOES OF SILENCE OR IS IT THE MACHINES
AND THERE NOTHINGNESS VIBRATING THROUGH CORRUGATED WALLS
I SHOULDN’T DWELL IN THIS NOW EMPTY ROOM
EACH MOMENT STAYED SENDS ANOTHER CRUCIFIX NAIL
INTO LEFT AND RIGHT AORTA BUT SOMETHING KEEPS ME HERE
AS TRAILS OF TEARS WANDER SLOWLY DOWN EACH WRINKLE OF MY FACE
THERE SHOULD BE NO PLACE IN LIFE FOR MOMENTS SUCH AS THESE
EVEN HER ERASERHEAD MACHINE IS UNABLE TO ERADICATE
THE NIGHTMARE THAT HAS GROWN THROUGH THE CRACKS OF THIS DREAM
HAUNTING ME STILL AND UNTIL I REACH THAT NOTHINGNESS FOREVER WILL
SO HERE LOCKED IN A QUANDRY MY REFLECTION STARES A FROZEN GLARE
THAT STRADDLES THE ILLOGIC OF EACH DISSTENDING DESPAIR
AS I TOUCH A LOCK OF HIS FIRST LOCK OF HAIR
WHERE ARE THOSE ECHOES OF LAUGHTER THAT ONCE FILLED MY SOUL
SWALLOWED BY HER MACHINE OF NOTHINGNESS NOW IN CONTROL
THE VIBRATIONS OF PAIN INCREASE WITH INCLEMENT AGE
SORROW HAS NO EXPIRATION DATE NOR DOES THIS SILENT RAGE
IT TOO OFTEN LINGERS LIKE EACH PASSING DAY
OFFERING NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT LITTLE LIFE NOW SEEMS
AN OBSTRUCTION TO THE INEVITABLE IN MY WAY
LEADING DOWN THE SAME OLD DARK CORRIDORS
ONCE ENLIGHTENED WITH HIS FOOTSTEPS,LAUGHTER AND DREAMS
FOR ABSENCE DOESN’T REALLY MAKE THE HEART GROW FONDER
IT WANDERS AIMLESSLY THROUGH THE FOREST OF FALLEN TREES
A CLOSE COMPANION OF MY DISCONTENT BROUGHT HUMBLY TO EACH KNEE
BAPTIZED IN NOTHINGNESS’ MISTY MACHINE-MADE AFTERGLOW
WHERE FATE AWAITS WHAT I ALREADY KNOW WILL BE SO
SEEMINGLY ADRIFT ALONE FOREVER ON LIFE’S LONELY SEA
UNTIL FINALLY SWALLOWED BY THE UNDERTOW OF WILL NEVER AGAIN BE
EXCEPT WITHIN EACH THOUSAND WORDS OF MY PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY
