THE MAN WHO UNRAVELED

Looking at my thumb today

My fingerprint seemed to sway

I looked a little closer still and found

The groove of my thumb unwound


And I thought: can this be real?

There’s no symptom that I feel

Someone help me! Won’t you help me?

And the groove is spinning out

Tell me: what’s this all about?

Now it’s gone! The print is gone!

And the lines inside my hand

Are being pulled out like threads

And I’m watching as I’m unweaving

And I wonder if it’s me

Or if someone else can see

See this man unravel


I check the birthmark on my chin

Blank skin where it should have been

Then check my other hand but as I feared

All prints and lines have disappeared


And I think: can this be real?

There’s no symptom that I feel

Someone help me! Won’t you help me?

Look at me, what do you see?

Blank page where I used to be

Stop it now! Show me how!

And I’m walking out the door

Neighbor down the corridor

He walks past me, he doesn’t see me

Now I’m running down the street

Hoping someone else will see

See this man unravel


And I think: can this be real?

There’s no symptom that I feel

Someone help me! Won’t you help me?

Look at me, what do you see?

Blank page where I used to be

Stop it now! Show me how!

My friends had nothing to say

When they saw me changed this way

They walked past me, didn’t see me

Now I’m running down the street

Hoping someone else will see

See this man unravel