Surprise Upon Awakening: poem by Nolo Segundo

fabric, image by Wajahat Ahmad, on Pixabay, modified

A Surprise Upon Awakening

I woke up and, in the mirror,

Saw a stranger—a face not

Mine, but like my own. So,

I thought, Am I mad now?

But no, if you think you’re                                  

Insane, you’re not: the

Mind’s own Catch-22. Still,

Why did this face seem to

Belong to another? I sensed

My soul at work, not quite

Done with its nightly dream-

Making, weaving entire worlds

From strands of memory, bits

Of ego, clouds of imagination.

My soul was seeing my flesh

As it really exists: merely a

Convenient container designed

To navigate life and this world

Of the temporary, the fleeting.

And so my immortal part gave

Its living doppelganger a gift—

This is what you really are as

Blood and bone: a waxen mold,

A vanity, almost an illusion…

Nolo Segundo, pen name of retired teacher (in America, Japan, Taiwan, and

the war zone of Cambodia,1973-74) L.J. Carber, became a published poet

and essayist in his 8th decade and now has been in 225 literary journals in

19 countries on 4 continents. Cyberwit.net has published 3 poetry collections

in paperback: ‘The Enormity of Existence;’ ‘Of Ether and Earth;’ and ‘Soul Songs.’

These titles reflect the awareness he gained when he had a near-death experience

over 50 years ago whilst almost drowning in a Vermont river. (And, no, his NDE

was not of the "white light" sort, but then his near drowning was not accidental;

still, he is grateful for all of it.) 

June 2025 issue