I’m being crushed by the world.
Cold,
Ambivalent to only those who don’t look back.
Sharks.
I bite my sore, gritted teeth,
Jaw bruised blue from the anguish.
Taught pressure from carrying the weight of the world;
I’m being crushed by the people, she said.
Pennies in pockets like stones tied to their ankles,
Sinking.
They trot deeper into the substrata.
Ignorant, until they find it hard to breathe.
Breathing is easy, they said.
Just take a breath and swallow.
Swallow hard.
I gallantly gulp stale air.
Cut it with a knife into bite-sized pieces.
They sink to my stomach like rocks in a pond.
Be cautious or else you’ll choke. I’m being crushed, she said.
A whimper into the universe,
An echo by time itself.