to speak again

half-shadowed visage
gazing out to 
an uncertain world
i listen and watch
speak when 
language can
be heard again

Uncertain Dreamer

Last night I dreamt
but woke up
and couldn't remember
anything.

How often does this
happen? Far more
often than any of us
could know.

I'm awake but unsure
yet I still breathe.
My body keeps me
living still.

Perhaps I should pray
not for me but
for those who have
passed on from here.

I feel sad and uncertain
but I'm trying to
steel my spirit and
prepare for the struggle.

There can be no end
to the fight for progress.
Did I dream of your face?
I can't say for certain.

An Orphan

Wear the mask 

of your face

until you must molt

At birth

I had no face but I did not mind.
My parents were greatly troubled by it
but there was little they could do.
In the first hours after I was born
I gap appeared, then I had a mouth.
The next day my right eye appeared
where there had once only been
smooth skin. Two days after that my left
eye appeared in the same fashion.
Over the next month my nose grew
in steadily, as that finished my ears
began to come in. Finally, my eyebrows
and eyelashes grew in to complete
the human look.

I tell people about this from time to time,
most everyone doesn't believe me.
My parents have pictures of me
from this time but they prefer to keep them
between us. I don't think about the how
or why, I just know that I am now
as I was meant to be, just as flawed
and whole as any of us ought.

My face

a mask

I cannot 

remove

When Things Go Missing

I woke up one morning and I couldn't find my face.

There was nothing on my bed or tangled in the sheets.

I got down on hands and knees and did not see anything

on the ground. Finally, I went over to my car in case

I left it there on accident, though, if I had, I hope I would

have remembered that. After searching for an hour I decided

to wear one of my masks for the time being. It wasn't a perfect

fit but it was better than no face at all. The problem with my

masks is how hard it is to speak and attempt to be understood

through lips that cannot move. It is frustrating but what more

can I expect from an easy fix? I called my doctor and told him

my situation. He said to come by at one o'clock for a fitting.

As I sat in the waiting room I noticed a few other people

that were wearing masks as well, at least I wasn't the only

one. My turn came up and I stepped into the back rooms.

Doctor Austere came by after a couple of minutes and

promptly took off my mask. He looked at my raw head

and said that he would use the same measurements from

before for my replacement face. He said if I could wait

another twenty minutes or so they would have it ready

and they could attach it right away. I agreed. It's an odd

sensation to be with out your face and wait around for its

replacement. At least I hadn't been out drinking when

I lost it. When he came back he had one of his assistants

with him. She must have been new because I could not

recall having seen her before. She was quite lovely and

I could tell she had received a new face recently. She

stepped out and returned with my new face resting on

a blank head. It looked warm and alive. Doctor Austere

said it would be just like last time. I sat there quietly as

they began their work of connecting nerves to quivering

new flesh, those pathways which give expression to such

an organ. There is pain like a burning light but it is bearable.

After some time they both stepped back with a satisfied look.

"Can you smile for us?" the Doctor said. I felt the skin raise

up into two opposite corners as my new lips curved.

"Looks perfect," he said. He had me do a few more facial

expressions just to be sure. He said to call him if I had any

problems with this new face. I told him I would. As I walked

outside to the car the skin on my new face felt the wind, it's

fine hairs were at cold attention. I remembered that I had left

a bag of groceries in the trunk of my car yesterday. I popped

the trunk and saw my groceries there, fortunately they weren't

of the easily perishable variety. I also happened to see a familiar

some one looking back. Oh well. At least I have a spare.