When Alice fell, did she land softly?
Like Alice, I am falling down a rabbit hole
It feels bottomless and the air is thick with black and void
Like Alice, I take directions from a bottle
I follow the footsteps of others because I am convinced
there is no more land untouched, no sea uncharted
Like Alice, I crawl through a door too small for my broad and heavy shoulders
I exhaust every effort in my being, and empty all the air in my lungs
to squeeze through a door I was not meant to fit
Like Alice, I walk through a world of wonder
Except I am blind to it
I choose not to see the beauty in it
Just in case there is a sly caterpillar around the corner
Or a crimson queen that distracts me with her apple-red roses
Like Alice, I am in a place I do not recognize
Perhaps I am lost
Perhaps I am found
Perhaps I went crazy searching for a life unlike mine
When Alice fell, did she land softly?
Did she hit the ground with a thud?
Will there remain a bruise along with the memory of something wonderful?
At least, that way, she’ll have something to show for it
Not a tummy full of tea or unbirthday cakes galore,
But a blueish green reminder of what life could be
If only you choose to wonder
© Sophie Matossian 2022
Sophie Matossian 