I grew up alone in a big house,

And my parents weren’t always home-

they were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

My parents came and went

and when I asked if I could go-

they said:

“no, this is what big people do, maybe

when you’re older.”

They were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

Since I couldn’t leave to make friends-

I made my own.

My parents were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

My mother said I had a wild

imagination

She was a surgeon you see-

and I talked to furniture.

My father prided himself on the fact he built

all of it himself-

sometimes with mother’s help.

They were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

There was Karl, a comfy ottoman

in the sitting room-he was always

kind-murmuring reassurances.

My parents were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

Doris, she was my bed

rocking me to sleep every night,

humming

My parents were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.  

The more I talked to furniture

the happier my parents were-

they built more furniture.

They were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

For three years my parents made

Arnold

Gladis

Claudio

Veronica

Mark

they were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

I loved the furniture it was so

soft and warm

it felt alive to me-

so I talked to furniture-

because my parents were surgeons. 

Everything was the same for a

long time-

They were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

One day, my parents were in the workshop

building a new piece-

so that’s why I opened the door-

they were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.

A nice lady knocked on the door,

I opened it for her.

It was odd

She wasn’t a surgeon you see-

and she didn’t talk to furniture.

She said she had gotten lost

she looked lost.

but

after taking one look behind me,

she sniffed the air-

and gagged.

She picked me up and ran

I didn’t understand- didn’t she know?

didn’t she know my parents were surgeons?

and I talked to furniture?

Now I’m older-

a big person with my own house.

sometimes

people ask why I don’t have furniture

to which my reply is always

“my parents were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.”

How should I have known?

I was so young.

167 people

71 pieces of furniture

they were surgeons you see-

and I talked to furniture.