“You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. (…) [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the other.” – Martha Graham

 

Whether it’s always blessed, I am not sure – but there’s been a lot of unrest lately. Everywhere. And it still keeps people marching. Often, however, I do not wonder what it is that moves the masses – I wonder what it is that keeps so many in a state of (blissful?) ignorance…how come, there are people that are less alive than others?

 

Out of Joint

 

and the scary thing was

not that the earth

would not stop

trembling

or even

all the salty

water flooding our doorsteps

and hidden corners of our

hearts (like widow’s tears:  bitter. angry).

 

it wasn’t the nauseating fog that

grew around the city – a second skin

covering up:

plague-spots

memories

tumors

extremities (misshapen or simply redundant or odd)

dreams that lay dead:

 

                               – there goes the stuffed bear you just bought your babygirl – it almost seems to flinch…

                                                        – there goes your babygirl – motionless like a stuffed toy…

(and all the time this irony, mocking you, a grimacing gargoyle)

                                                                                                      –  but say, did you hold her too tight so she couldn’t breathe or maybe it was the fog or perhaps…

— there goes the answer…

 

now, the scary thing was

that still, there were

many that (while

we were

 

kicking.

screaming.

praying.

loving.

 

for our

lives) didn’t even

try or seem to

notice they had

to do

anything.