Oft elusive for me was slumber.
I carried not splinters but lumber.
Shards from a cross I was never near.
Thorns from a crown of violence & fear.
Switches from shrubs embroidered my thighs.
Sticks of repression & its base lies.
Splints just there to keep me from running.
Struts, with help, to keep me from crumbling.
I creak in the cold & sing in heat.
What rest I’ve found, has been no mean feat.
Still, I pull wood from me by plier.
Just some kindling to feed my fire.

