In Another Life

in another life
i staged my own death
and rode off into the sunset
on a translucent wave
i crossed a desert of stars
fell into the murky depths
and lay in the blackened quicksand
for years
in another life
i set my hands on fire
and watched them burn
to the bone
before lighting another cigarette
and clenching it between my teeth
smoke billowing around my head
like a halo
in another life
i fell in love daily
and out of love like molasses
i slept in the arms of emptiness
and spent days searching for
hidden meanings in the pavement
in another life
i learned how to live
rose petals swam in my eyes
and i danced next to a great chasm
filled to the brim with silence
maybe that one
will be next

          JOANNA HOROWITZ