Elegy in X Parts [Kafka said, A book]

X.

Kafka said, A book
must be an axe

for the frozen sea 
inside us, which sounds 

great, but what good 
is an axe against 

a frozen sea?
Perhaps this is why

he said, while dying,
Destroy everything.

There is little comfort
in knowing there

are worse undertakings
than killing yourself.

Is it dangerous 
to say these things? 

I don't think so.
Or I do. Either way, 

don't believe me. 
There is no refuge 

from yourself.

Copyright © 2012 by Matt Rasmussen. Used with permission of the author.