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Stigmata VII

A six-foot chain, a six-foot cell
allow two paces: step, step,
and turn; step, step, and turn.
When the body's bound,
the mind leaps free to soar
and twist and turn back
on itself until its very freedom
becomes a kind of prison.
Each emotion's felt in
fierce intensity, swelling,
fading only to return again
on a wild, unpiloted
roller coaster ride
that never ends, ignoring
pain, sickness, even death,
devouring all without a pause.
Time's fragmented, each moment
endless, unconnected to
the swiftly passing years.

by Terry Anderson

 


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Copyright © 1999 Terry Anderson
Copyright © 1999 Ohio University