The other day I am having coffee with a friend. We are sitting outside in the shade. There is a breeze, and we feel not overwhelmed with the heat. Or life, at that moment. We discuss our poetry and make our way eventually to the war. And we comment on how everyone has an opinion and so many of those opinions are at odds with one another. And how hard it is to find one’s place. You’re either too soft or too hard. A hawk, a dove. There is anger and pain and fear. And so many seem ready to explode. At just that moment, a car honks at the car in front for going too slow. The first car stops, and the car door opens, and everyone at the café starts yelling something to the effect of, hey guys cool down, priorities! Well, I imagine that is what I would have said, if I spoke Hebrew better. Thing is, all this aggression and anxiety takes its toll on the soul, on the body. Yes, these are very hard times. But, for our own sakes, not to mention for the sake of society at large, we need to stop and take a beat. Breathe. And find a way to get through that is easier on the body.
Thing is, all this vigilance is in the body. We need to process it in the body. Feel it in the body and release it from the body. For me—moving my body with dance is the best way to hold and release all the craziness of our current reality.
And writing poetry…speaking of which, the café incident inspired this poem:
Hangover
You can’t stay vigilant and remain alive.
“Little Song” – Diane Seuss
What happens when you forget
yourself? When you wake
in the morning
a hangover of grief hanging. How the body has been
shaped
vigilance. Ever
the chess master, ten steps ahead. A skill
built when still learning
to read words. Faces. And now, how
I walk to meet a friend
for coffee. Neck stretching
right left up down front back
Lost
in too many thoughts a cyclist
squeezes his brakes. An inch from my right
leg.
The light turns green, I keep walking. Nothing
to do but keep walking.
Have a beautiful week!
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