One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted —
One need not be a House —
The brain has Corridors — surpassing —
Material Place —
— Emily Dickinson m, c. 1863
Gone mad is what they say, and sometimes run mad as if mad is a direction, like west; as if mad is a different house you could step into, or a separate country entirely. But when you go mad you don’t go any other place, you stay where you are. And somebody else comes in.
When I was younger, I used to think that if I could hug myself tight enough, I could make myself smaller, because there was never enough room for me, at home or anywhere, but if I was smaller than I would fit in.