A butterfly
in rain—
it is not wet
but undone
with too much cloud
not enough
sky.

Its wings—
thin pamphlets
of joy
silk slick
as sermon pages
in a storm.

Each flap
a soaked insistence—
up
up—
but no purchase
on the wet air.

Hope—
makes poor shelter
but it wears it
anyway.

You still look like you, minus the fire
With your non-skid socks
Arms attached to barb wires

A robe drenched in dead skin
Eyes sunkin in
Slept for a year, but still tired

When you speak, it's eratic
Others hear it as static
I always know what you mean

You long to go home
Where you weren't so alone
But it's disappeared it would seem

For now, they still visit
But they'll drift and won't miss it
As it's all too depressing to see

You will disappear
No one gets better here
The next stop is eternity

Why do we have to sleep she says,
In the night time haze!
So we can be awake during our days
But why can’t I stay awake
So go to sleep for goodness sake
It’s to charge your batteries and keep you going
And stop you slowing
And keep you growing
So sleep now My little one
It’s night time and the day is done!