Oh! Albatross

Here I am
In a world, crumbled-up
like an old piece of crumb-infested

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

cellophane
that will soon fall to its
demise
amongst all the forbearing rubbish;
Then I,
that useless bit of cellophane
will be thrown onto the curb
where the thieving ants will come
and scavenge through my few remains;
I will have no choice
but to surrender to their
military ways;
An ultimatum--
Join the Ranks of the Stronghold
or be ripped and torn
into a million
nameless
pieces
to which all that I am is
no more.

Gabrielle Cianfrani
September 6, 1995