no dummy

Mannequin Self

stick your hands inside me,
i am forever falling apart.
hold what's left, together.

crawl under this skin,
i am not myself these days.
find me hiding from the sun.

wear my face like a mask,
i am what you want me to be.
look for my smile behind your lips.

turn my heart inside out,
i am stronger than i know.
beat a drum to keep death at bay.

swallow my voice whole,
i am now spoken for.
tell me everything i need to know.

breathe the heat of my spirit,
i am the flicker of a dying flame.
burn in effigy my mannequin self.

photo by loomis dean