When Everything


what to do when everything
hurts, emotions are frozen
the brain won’t strain, refrains
from even the attempt to believe in
some outside thing, not the self, residing
elsewhere than here the seat of all fear
and knowledge of the precarious ledge
we dance upon while awaiting the chance
to feel all right, to get through the night
into a new day, another chance to find the way
to make no mistakes, find what it takes
to ease the hurts, while remaining alert
to the dangers, and ever stranger
worlds to gain, just forget about pain.


Roger Thomas Wehling
January 2006