Augustin Burchell
To Disappear
I would quite like the ability to turn invisible.
Like in the movies,
with the superhero or the supervillian
or unsuspecting bystander to a freak accident in a lab full of nuclearly-engineered chameleons
or what have you,
who one moment is there
and the next is not.
Not a lot but not squat I have the thought
What if I were not.
What if I let
all that light, incessently bouncing off my skin and clothes and reflecting off my glasses
and asklessly bombarding your senses
pass through me
and right on out
to the rest of the world.
Let something someone else make that bold intrusion.
I’m not picky though, about my request.
I honestly wouldn’t even mind some “I can still see your clothes” technicality,
if that’s what it took.
Sure, I’d have to get used to the breeze
and maybe run up stairs a little more cautiously but
at that point I’d be no worse for less wear.
I’ll give it to you, winter would be tough.
Cold and all.
But then I’d just bundle up,
Laces of clunky boots pulled taut and
Heavy, obfuscating coats pulled tight and
Chunky stocking caps pulled low and
Suffocating scarves pulled high and
no one would be able to see me at all and
I would disappear.
That seems alright to me.