Brandy Ausmus (Poetry)

hallways of my mind

my mind shining like the tiles of this empty hallway
reflecting bits and pieces of itself elsewhere,
loosing its sense of direction
the reflections stand upside down,
sideways,
and everyway in which I am not.
but both doorways on either end of the empty hallway are locked
the doors are sealed and will not yield
the neon exit flickers off
my breath echoes in the walls
bouncing off the the "quiet please" sign with a sigh
and i stand there, alone with my heavy sigh
against the door
the door that leads to the unknown
forgetting about the clock's tocking
hearing only the knocking
that comes from the other side.

strange as strangers

these leather-bound feet, weary
cant stop their walking
on these torn up legs
that have wandered far too long
tired joints
creaking like old locked doors
that have been closed off too long
and this fushia sky keeps us burning all night
as it coaxes out the sleeping stars
from their solitary hiding places
and embraces them in unity while
they sing their eulogy
to the lacey and barren branches below
whose worn skins are carved with
forgotten lovers epitaphs
all this is ignored as we stalk through these dark cold nights
youre too busy taking me all in
a perception built on euphemisms
though i am seen much more clearly in the dark
this void of space is soon impaled with street lamps
each is "the lamp unto our feet
the light unto our path"
the fire in our glance
each- our personal moons of celestial disorder
our intruding voices echo off the trees
each breath of wood splinters in our throats
the trees silently laugh
as they watch us - uprooted
forced to wander, to wonder
for they forever have a home
and though this Autumn's eve is breezeless
they wave an unsympathetic goodbye
satisfied that they'll never see us again.