A Floating Head
by Bella D'Orazio
“You are a floating head”
“You walk around as if your body is not your own”
I make robotic movements that my body has been conditioned to use.
The ice is like glass
And it cuts when it gets cold.
I look down and my feet hurt.
I try to focus for a second on exactly how my body feels,
So I can confirm that it’s not the numb robot I believe it to be.
But all I can come up with is that there’s a pit in my stomach and my feet hurt.
I try to hear my footsteps when they touch the ground,
But I get frustrated and distracted.
I try to feel the cold air on my skin, but my mind races.
Meanwhile, my head and brain are where all my life is stored and it’s getting full.
Thoughts race in my brain and I become weary.
My head feels heavy and I’m unable to slow down my breathing.
My head takes on most of the work while my body does as it’s told.
I try to slow down my footsteps,
But they keep going faster and faster every time I take a step.
I’m addicted to the feeling
My body loves to feel the pit in my stomach, and the pain in my feet.
My brain says, “What are you doing? This hurts too much. Slow down.”
But my body can’t hear,
And I’m reminded of how
I’m only a floating head.
