Basement Human

 

I was born in an unfinished basement

It is where i learned to swing my fist

to mosh 

to love

to blame

to stare at a glowing dumpster tv

 

in the dark

 

my only friends were angry ghost that hated everything so much they couldn’t move on

 

the only light in the basement came from hanging light bulbs

from the ceiling

every bulb turned on differently

and only i knew how to turn them all 

on

and 

off

 

one day i came out of the basement

crawling out of a broken window well

pale skin

swinging

falling down

staggering and stumbling

in the grass

burying my hands in my face

and 

screaming at the sun

it was too painful

everything so bright and green

 

everyone running away from me

 

i found a giant oak tree in a field

and i wished to be like the tree.

 

i dug a hole 

in the dark wet dirt

 with my hands

so I could grow

the same way the tree did

 

--Jon Berger