The Unboxing

Why are we so afraid of
tearing away the wrappings
and unboxing ourselves
completely?
They are important extensions of our self, we say
necessary and relevant add-ons
while knowing quite well
they are merely ectoplasmic constructs
of the ghost in the machine
and ghosts aren’t real
Yet almost eight billion ghosts are
roaming around on Earth,
leaving not much else but
traces of devastation behind,
while being terribly afraid of what’s inside
the tightly sealed box of ourselves

There must be the horror, the ghosts say
the dark and lonely emptiness
and the cavalcade of bogey men
the ocean of uncried tears
and the mirror that cannot lie
so that is not the way to go
not now
not ever

But it is only the ghost who is afraid
It knows too well that if the thing inside
is let loose
it will be the end of the wrappings
the box
the ghost
it will be the end
and then

the ghost does not know