Empiricist

Empty room Cast about for a familiar object Because my body needs coordinates to move In the dark Range of motion shrivels all around me All my nightmares I am slowly being cocooned A single calf in the hecatomb Crescent moon Hollowed out of all my fabled insides Occam shave me down to primal truth Return me to the womb Mother pulled from father’s ribs, little baby in a crib, hands reaching up Before the blinding light is split Through the prism of your organs into colors All that being and nothingness, on the same möbius strip Sleep and waking up On the first day Wipe the blank slate And you join the banquet Served up helpless on a plate You find your land legs And you learn to imitate You’ll wear any feathers And hope that your efforts attract a mate One day your children find you, Locked in the bathroom, Staring in horror at the reflection of your face You say you're sorry to the guests at your party But you can't help wonder, who is this person you celebrate? And so the light fades It’s still your birthday Blow out your past lives like they're candles on the cake