The Invisible Man Remembers

I went to bury him

I remember the funeral, the cheap hearse

Scant ceremony, windy frost-bitten hillside

Walking back to the empty house

Through the place that had once been a village

Desecrated fields ended in rubble heaps, rank wet weeds

I remember myself a gaunt black figure

Going along the slippery, shiny pavement

Strange sense of detachment I felt

My old life came back to me for a space

All like a dream

That visit to the old places

I found it hard to sleep

I lay awake dreaming feverishly 

Things growing misty 

Vanishing about me

The thing had to be carried through

The fixed idea still ruled me

Vanish!

What was I doing? 

Why was I always alone and secretive? 

I lay there like grim death

I beat my hands on the wall with rage

I was invisible!

Backstory

A wonderful poet friend -Jone MacCulloch -check out her blog of gorgeous work- and I were discussing “found” poems for Halloween and how much fun it would be to lift something from the pages of a true horror classic. So many to choose from! Shelley, Stoker, Lovecraft, Poe- the list goes on.

I decided to poke around one of my favorites- Mr. H. G. Wells and his incredible book (read it!) “The Invisible Man”. Oh, he was a madman alright. Obsessed and driven to be invisible to the world. Sadly, he did not realize the success of his experiment, would mean the loss of his humanity. This story couldn't be more relevant today, as its principal theme is about how a seemingly positive breakthroughs and advances in science can actually lead to the death of human connectivity.  He is referred to over and over again in the book as “the unseen.”.

Our current state of social connection comes to mind. An important message I think from Mr. Wells here- It’s vital- vital for humans to remain seen. Something Namakula and I are passionate about. Imagine a world of invisible people? Seems that is becoming our new reality. 

Stay SEEN.