Content Warning: This poem may not be suitable for all audiences and may contain information that some could find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised.
The Corpus Of Jane Doe
A mountain of paperwork
Encumbers my day
In the mortuary she waits-
Chalk-white and purple
Coagulated blood at the points
We knew to be the lowest
Where she laid waiting to be found
She is your typical body-
No tattoos or piercings
Barely more information than:
Hair, Eyes, Skin, Size
What is the immutable?
She had an identity with a past:
Information trapped behind
Unmoving lips and rigor mortis
Lost to the depths of an unseen mind
Someone loved this woman:
Her vibrant smile I never see
How her cheeks flushed
At compliments or with tears
We gather information
-what we objectively know-
To approximate backward
Into a time before death
When parents held a baby
And gave her a name
Thank you so much for reading my poem today! If you found its words meaningful, please consider liking, commenting, and/or sharing it with others. Truly, I am grateful for the time you spent reading my work.
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