Dead

By Hannah Lambing

His hollow, lifeless eyes thrust into my face,
Then somehow examined my brain.

He created an image that endured in my mind
Showing a dog, an apple, and a tree.

It was impossible for him to frown,
Like a clown at a carnival.
The crooked smile was plastered to his face,
With no increase or decrease in his happiness.

It lay there motionlessly,
His enduring expression haunted me as the image lingered in my mind.

I wonder about this skull.
His previous life seemed to still exist in him,
Just stuck,
Without a way out.