Limbo Poem by Erika Wingo

Whenever you look at me
Somehow its me you never see
You're glance glazes then grazes over me
Although I've always seen all of you
You've never understood any part of me
Nor have you ever wanted to
I watch as you walk away from me
For the millionth time
You are exactly who you'll always be
Nothing more, nothing less
Yet still you're the everything
To my nothingness

In solitary contemplation
I struggle with my own humiliation
As I will my heart to love you less
I seem to only love you more
Every time I find the strength to pull away
My tears fall fast and unrestrained
Until I can hardly breathe
As though you take all the oxygen
With you when you leave

You cast this ever-present shadow
That hangs over my life
Threatening and menacing it blocks out all the light
Dark and cold is the chill that seeps into my bones
Thick oppressive energy lies heavy on my heart
Restricting the air and blood flow
And all living things die slowly
In a life of limbo