This Shadow of a Living Thing

I don’t understand how you strangers

became so beautiful

to me

 

or

 

How I became deathly afraid of all

of you.

 

If I asked you,

“How did you all become so beautiful,

And how did I become this shadow

of a living thing?”

 

What would you say?

I hope you have the balls to tell me:

“Fuck off!”

 

Only because I would probably have to be

Pretty goddamn drunk

If I was actually going around asking

Painfully honest questions

To completely sober

Strangers.