EXPLORERS

A mind filled by the heart sees a world full of beauty and compassion. Contents . ignorance . intensity . indignity . iniquity Ignorance to fail to notice to avoid understanding to lack and to want EXPLORERS Perched between the doorway and the damp porch matching my mood gazing upon the layer of ashen haze covering what once was vibrant and fresh like a nude dive into a chlorine pool my lungs vapour stung, gasps focused averting eyes towards the gutters’ drip of winter’s mournful ending song puttering amongst the scavenger trucks collecting and littering the alleyways for rare metals my pacing rummages through what’s become a blur of tasks and mindless to-do lists rather belonging lost to see what the moment brings yet clinging to the performative smile to delight others I find myself distracted in their mouths widening the aching membranes of 5k runner’s lungs smoking and veins drowned in coffee oscillating, my chest thumps demanded by deep throat growls, and I swallow the howl of dread of walking through the door of corporate drone I splash my face to wash yesterday’s expressions off and silence the ringing in my ears echo’d by expressions of somebody needing a vacation clearly only the perpetual pay check could vouch for such an escape to momentarily pretend play of actual change, to leaving routines for the dust of trails cowboys feigned to blaze the right to prove we aren’t dandy clichés incites reels of imagined highs fancied by capitalist desires so good the life barreling through cracked cloud sun yolks streaming down graces heftier in gold than paydays, paid debts, speed limits, landmarks, or feigned happiness resigned to the brush of some blush the late winter rains don’t get anything soaked wet but mist vapours of springs’ promise for a different version of the same story. © Mari Amman. All Rights Reserved. Poetry, Prose &Suche VOL I. First edition 2023, electronic distribution. Text and Images by Mari Amman. The poems contained within this volume were drafted circa 2006-2009, in Chicago, USA, and edited during spring 2023 in Paris, France, with the enormous support of The Trélex Residency. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lelapin.substack.com/subscribe