Implosion: An Ode to Gilman's Wallpaper

by K. H. Ackroyd

Peeling, peeling ever peeling, your tattered sickness has me reeling
Look quick, Did you see?
I think that woman is looking at me
Can't you see her, she's just right there, why I see my face reflected in her hair
There



Hush now, do you hear?
Oh have no fear.
It's only the Dr. clomp, clomp, clomping up the steps with my cure
and I'm sure
or am I?
My nails they scratch me, no not me, I meant, the nails, they hold the bed down for me
or is it against?
Last night I laid on the FOR/AGAINST bed
and what was dancing to the right of my head?
or in it?



It moved I tell you! I touched it - it's true!
My, but this room has a lovely view
A baby is crying - I guess I should feed it  (look at watch) is it time?
or is there?
But work, work, work, work, work. I must write, as I hide, as I write
Rest, oh I should rest. But doing nothing is harder than doing something.
But I must rest
He said so
He



What is that smell? It smells like piss! It smells like stain. It smells yellow
fellow
Look!
I have the key! I won't be interrupted, I won't be interrupted
Hahahhahahhahhahhaha
Did you see? The Key! I threw it out the window!
Now, it's just me and this rope, and that woman
Did you see her?
she's just right there, why I hear my voice reflected in her hair

Somebody's knocking at the door, somebody's ringin' the bell, somebody's knockin' at the door, somebody's ringin' the bell, Do me a favor, open the door, let em in   Just ignore it 

That's only him, the Dr., John
That's  only
An axe? An AXE? A Shining Axe?
hahahhahhahahha

This room looks different
It's bare

Oh, I remember, it was that woman and me,

Did you see her?

we peeled, and peeled and peeled
Yes, we did, just her and I
Did I tell you? She broke the pattern?

She did!

Sources and References

The Morgan Library and Museum
One Hundred Years of American Women Writing, 1848-1948 An Annotated Bio-Bibliography by Jane Missner Barstow
The Charlotte Perkins Gillman Society
Women's Intellectual Contribution to the Study of Mind and Society
Norton Anthologies
Gilman's Authority with Subversive Commentary in "The Yellow Wall Paper" by K.H. Ackroyd 


IMPLOSION: An Ode to Gilman's Wallpaper by K.H. Ackroyd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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