Poetry for the Hard of Hearing
Published on November 18, 2007 By Johnny Masuda In Poetry
they plop down in the bus seat
behind me
two teen girlies in piles of layered
clothing to stay warm

I’m invisible
strapped into the slot for a
wheel chair
handicapped people can be
hard to see

one tells the other about cutting
herself around her pubes so people
couldn’t tell

they’re talking in whispers, but I’m
invisible and they don’t know I can
hear everything

I can smell the scent of their hair

the other one tells her friend she
does it under her boobs

self-mutilators exchanging techniques

I think about all the scars I have
from the doctor’s scalpel and wonder
if I count,

but I’m invisible and they moved
on to talking about boys and shoes.

J. Masuda © 2007

Comments
on Nov 18, 2007
I can almost feel the silent anger in this. Very well done.
on Nov 18, 2007
Been awhile since I read your stuff. In top form, I see. Nice work.

I can sense the anger as well.

~Zoo