”A sickness came over me
whose origins were never determined
though it became more and more difficult
to sustain the pretense of normalcy,
of good health or joy in existence
Gradually I wanted only to be with those like
myself;
I sought them out as best I could
which was no easy matter
since they were all disguised or in hiding.”

”Ah, he says, you are dreaming again

And I say then I'm glad I dream the fire is still alive”

”They look calm, but calm is not the truth.
Despair is the truth. This is what
mother and father know. All hope is lost.
We must return to where it was lost
if we want to find it again.”

”I felt something true had been spoken
and though I would have preferred to have
spoken it myself
I was glad at least to have heard it.”

“What a shame I became
verbal, with no connection
to that memory. My mother's love!
All too soon I emerged
my true self,
robust but sour,
like an alarm clock.”

“How heavy my mind is,
filled with the past.
Is there enough room
for the world to penetrate?
It must go somewhere,
it cannot simply sit on the surface—“