Does It Really Matter?
Mad as a hatter,
Mercury slipping through my fingers—
Liquid silver, toxic, elusive.
Does it matter
If the insanity lingers?
Did you see that?
...Did I?
What happens if we both look at the same time?
No, you're crazy, I'm fine.
I'm always on time, never late—
WHO LOCKED THE FUCKING GATE?!
I’m sorry—
Let me reiterate.
Sigh.
Okay. Now, where were we?
No, no, no, that’s all wrong—
Were you even paying attention?
Oh, by the way—did I forget to mention?
You are only a figment of my imagination.
Yet here we are, dancing on the edge of reason.
Going mad, if only for a season.
If that were true, then you wouldn't see me, and I wouldn't be you.
But am I?
I SAID, WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING!?
Am I?
I apologize. I promised I would keep my composure until this was all over, so let us continue, shall we?
Where were we by the way? I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.
For the sake of argument, let’s say we exist
Somewhere between logic and madness,
Between a whisper and a scream, the ego and the id.
Blink—and I vanish.
Wake—and it was only a dream.
Could it ever be that simple?
Isn’t that all we were wanting? Just a moment of peace.
Yet the walls still breathe when I turn away.
You speak in circles but have nothing to say.
That incessant dripping—taunting.
That tick-tick-tock—haunting.
Did we do this already?
Déjà vu like a record skipping in my head.
The needle digs deep into my skin,
But ink spills where blood should’ve been.
Stanzas tattooed themselves into my veins,
Scrawling words I half remember, half invent.
They say madness is just seeing too much.
Hearing too well.
Feeling too deep.
So tell me my friend—who decides reality?
Your reflection lingers too long in the mirror.
And I wonder:
Who’s the real one standing here?
And as I realize it may not be me,
Something cold curls ‘round my spine—
Fear,
Quiet and absolute, intimidating, but honest.
Mad as a hatter.
Mercury slipped through my fingers.
It always mattered.
And the insanity lingers.