One Day More

One Day More

Strand by strand

Never expected you to go

Always there

Protected me

Hid me

I’d see more and more of you falling away

Red and shining you laid on my pillow

Red and shining you became tumbleweeds across the floor

Red and shining you came out in clumps, plastered on the shower walls

Dreaded and matted like a dog unloved

Nothing left to do

But cut you all away

In the corner of a cold room

The clippers ran over my scalp

Took the last of you with them

Tears streaming

Nose running

Bare and raw for all

Watching the clock

Waiting for the moments to pass

Waiting for normal

Sleeping to avoid reality

Even if my dreams aren’t much better

Avoiding meals

Eating takes too much

Everything tastes empty

Like me

Strength has escaped

Mouth ravaged by sores

Nose won’t stop bleeding

Bruises all over

Body weak

Can’t even get up without the strength of another

Nothing left to give

Can’t even pick up the phone to let them know I’m alright

Am I dying?

Not today

One more day

Two more days

A hundred more days

A lifetime more