Soul Sickness

Do you care

is there anything

left inside of you

 

Are you even real

or are you just a shell

where evil resides

 

Often times

you seem

like you’re lost

 

Or like you

harbour multiple

sides of darkness

 

If the latter

are you scared

or do you even notice

 

How did you

slip into this quagmire

did it happen quickly or slowly

 

Do you even

have an answer

are you even aware

 

It seems foolish

to ask you

any of this

 

You blend in

for a time

you take and take

 

Serving your needs

not bothering to notice

the destruction you leave

 

How did this begin

for you

did you sign in blood

 

Is there no out

for you

is your soul gone

 

Yet it bothers

you so

that one has called you out

 

Your response

so very interesting

to banish the question

 

However it still

echoes in your head

over and over

 

It rings over

the sound of your voice

all this slashing you’re doing

 

Is just another

example of your ignorance

but yet you’re greatly bothered  

 

Is it because

you know time is up

you’re old and scared

 

You’re learning

that time

cannot be bought

 

It cannot be touched

it counts down

for all

 

Apparently this scares you

are you afraid

of what awaits

Among the Ojibwa there was a type of disease which the people called wétigo; described as a soul sickness, those afflicted with it windigos�"a term which can be translated as “cannibal” or “soul eater.” Windigos were destructive not only to themselves, but to those around them: they consumed the souls of other people with their greed.