Prompt: write a poem inspired by an entry from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
the curse of existence is onism
the knowledge that now and forever
one is and will only ever be
one
I will only ever see
the world through this one set of eyes
though I may “try on” others’
through the synthetic sight
of photography
I will only ever hear
the sounds of this one place I stand
though I escape to other worlds
through the synthetic sounds
of music
I will only ever feel
the textures beneath these ten fingers
though I am allowed infinite experiences
through the synthetic sensations
of literature