Sunday, January 29, 2012

Rhinoceros

There is a Rhinoceros in a shoebox
underneath my bed.
I hear it banging about in there
when I try to sleep.
I wish I could just release it
but that would be crass.
The city isn't ready for all
of the chaos I've been keeping.

There is a Rhinoceros in a shoebox
underneath my bed.
I peek under the lid sometimes
and make sure it can breathe.
It takes a lot of energy to keep
a secret for long.
Especially when that secret
has thicker skin than you.

There is a Rhinoceros in a shoebox
underneath my bed.
Sometimes, when I close my eyes
I feel like I'm the one in there.
And I want to destroy everything
that holds me captive.
It's lonely in this shoebox,
but no one knows I'm here.


Rachel J. Clark

1 comment:

  1. it's beautiful how you ride the metaphor all the way through until it achieves reality while you become the metaphor.
    i have the same box but i keep a hawk in there.
    it doesn't so much want to destroy, as just fly free of earth.
    lovely write, rach
    rick

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