When I Lose Myself
Moises Puentes, 131 TESSThere are no sounds but those the mountain commandsA thousand creatures communicating their natureThe waters of the river crashing against the rocksIt used to be peaceful, but now it’s just loudThey overpowered everything,The music I played,The words I voiced to no one but myselfEverything drowned in the constant monotone language of the mountainI was muffled by the white sound of solitudeAnd so, I began to lose myself in the presentCatching myself coming back with the pastThe sun was shining but I couldn’t see past my memoryAnd I remember when I could see the trees moving,How they danced for me,How they spoke to me.Now, they stand there motionless, as if mocking meAnd I lose myselfIn the absence of wind,In the sound of the water,In the heat of the sun,I lose myselfAnd I find myself wandering the streets of my past,Running down Folsom,Crying down Saint Paul,Smiling down KedzieIn the deprivation of sensation,I find myself hearing the laughter of my mother,Seeing the faces of my brothers,Feeling the warmth of a lover.But it is all gone,And all that is left,in this static place,are the strolls I take when I lose myself.
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