Roadkill

I hate to be so cliche

But when I veer off the path

Carved by centuries of poets before me

When I sift through my mind

Searching for original thoughts

Something gets lost in translation

I end up digging way too deep in my chest

Snapping ribs along the way

And yanking out my heart

Still beating and connected by a slimy yarn of flesh

I set it on the table for everyone to see

A sacrifice for my Art

That no one wants to look at

Because it turns out people fear blood

People don’t want new things

They want the comfort of patterns and familiarity

Girls squeal and cover their eyes with white handkerchiefs

Boys turn to walk away

Parents engulf their children

So I, too, retreat

I bury my heart in the deepest reaches of my chest

So no one's scornful eyes can find it in the dark

I'll slink in the shadows of those greater than me

Making a nest amongst the pages of their work

Twisting phrases and pretending I’ve made a new creation

Replicating structure and symbols

Paraphrasing metaphors and allegories

Making shadows dance as if they’re alive

A copycat, a thief, a mere reflection

Meanwhile an infection

From exposing my insides to the filth of the world

Gently destroys me

Slowly transforming me into a slimy ball of pus

Oozing into the dirt until the day I stop existing

Their disgust made me disgusting

It diminished me to nothing

A collage of other peoples ideas

With nothing new to say

And I can't live like that

So I hope this monster they created will die soon

Because only then will it end

Only then can I stop committing the artist’s ultimate sin

Of hiding myself away

And when the stench of my corpse drives them to try to clean me up

They’ll realize I'm still too messy

I’m roadkill

Rotting on the street for months

Transforming beneath the spotlight of the sun

Just a mound of flesh and blood

That’s coming back to life

As maggots crawl amongst my guts

Mosquitoes sip my blood like wine

And flies flicker from eye to eye

Tasting the sweetness of my juices

And everyone will finally see

When my skin’s been torn away

My heart, within its yellowed cage

Free at last