Sun Shine Inside Me

To caress a lover's face
or wipe a tear
from a silken cheek that blushes red;
I cannot lift my arms
to hold so dear,
to tenderly show I care -
my limbs are dead.

The heart inside my breast
still beats in time.
It pushes blood and air
throughout this shell.
I take each step throughout
each day in line
and smile and say
that all is well.

I yearn to race out
into the sun and scream
melt this plastic
thing that I've become!
Return me to the Earth
so I can sprout anew again.

A mourning dove sings its
sad song above my head,
perched in a tree older
than my family history.
The sorrowful dirge
tempts my soul back to bed.

I leave the sun.
Tomorrow is another time for glory.

I catch the image of a child
in the corner of my eye
before I retire to my gray reverie.
As I turn to face the little one
the little one turns to look at me,
and we both smile at each other.

And it seems as if the sun is shining inside me.

And my fingertip drips to the ground.