madness

by Alexander Burton

Posted to Poetry on 2003-01-23 15:09:00

after I’m done performing madness
and say “my god what have I done?”

a face stares back at me from heaven
with wounded eyes upon its frightening son

and after shame leaves me and sadness
shrugs off the drowning shoulders I
again go back and perform madness
and rule the kingdom of my life and time

and quickly time so quickly passes
we’re b-class actors on a phony stage

what good are we?
who needs us?
no one answers

who needs our thoughts in this atomic age?

and slowly plummeting towards Hades
and all because of Helen’s dangerous eyes

collapses from this weight a tired Atlas
and says “my god what have I done?”