"Examining A Soul Through A Cracked Mirror & Other Poems" by Laken Flanagan
i peered through the veil of consciousness
and peeled away another layer of awareness
from my multi-faceted personality
can self-revelations breed narcissism
turns out I'm a hypocrite who swears
in public but cant fathom the notion
of tainting a piece of pretty poetry
with words my uncouth mother
used to christen my childhood
walking the double-edged sword
of authenticity and social fraudulence
can i be authentic without bearing
every subjective truth that makes up my soul
fuck if i know
"I Have A Demon" by Laken Flanagan
And her name is Elle.
I keep her
Caged
In the deepest
Darkest
Dampest
Recesses of my mind
Where she can’t
Mesmerize me
Into doing her
Bidding.
Numbness is my sacrifice
A small
Price to keep her
Captivating rage
At bay.
I’ll never be free
But
I’ll never be
Alone.
Sometimes I have to sedate her.
Try to educate her, cultivate her–
Too much will just irritate her
And then her veiled whispers will seep
Into my thoughts so naturally they’ll
Blur together to the point that
I won’t know which version
Of myself will come
Out to say
Hello.