The Headless Emperor

Sometimes,
I walk around like a headless chicken,
Flapping my wings, but going nowhere.
Red flesh exposed,
Feathers floating around my neck.
Detached.

No hearing,
No voice,
No vision,
Losing all my senses.

Never,
Fazed up by the sharp blade of my executer,
Still refusing to fall down,
Flat on my cobwebbed feet.
I will never give up.
Resilient.

I am a headless Emperor,
Walking around my fictional kingdom,
Displaying my temporary wealth,
Wearing this ridiculous red silk embroidered coat.
Adorned with pearls, sapphires, rubies and emeralds.
Sumptuous.

My belly is filled with meat, grains,
Exotic spices, fruits and delicate sweets.
Force-fed.

The Headless Emperor

Always half satisfied,
I keep searching for more,
Voices in my head constantly saying,
‘You should be happy with what you have’…
But, all I think about is,
‘How I want my lost head back’.

Every time you doubt me,
I feel wrinkles contouring around my mouth,
Shaping slowly into a contorted smile,
Like a trapezist performing in her swing,
’You never got me’.
Displaced.

My head rolls from one side to another, aching,
Trying to move across the floor
Searching for the adorned body,
Wanting to be stitched with red silk.

I am the headless emperor.
But, I am still, the emperor of my own kingdom.
I refuse to fall flat on my feet.
Defiant.

My shoes are pointing out towards the door,
Looking for a way out
So many short cuts.
I could have ended all,
But, I choose the long path instead.

The Headless Emperor

You watch me from the distance,
I am dismembered,
Still, I follow the light coming out of my belly,
Made out of red ink,
The same ink, I use to write my name,
So I will never forget who I am.