Poem Quick Start Guide

Relax. You can do this
anywhere, any time
on a bus, in line
in church, in a lurch
alone, in a crowd
or in the clear.

Make a list of things
you see and hear
& from all the sounds
isolate one
give it a name
& write it down.

What do you smell?
Fill in the blank:
smells like _______.

Lick the back
of your hand,
what do you taste?
Give it a name
& write it down.

Keep in mind
you’re making a list,
don’t write
sentences,
use punctuation
only if you feel the itch.

Reach out
& touch
something:
wood, plastic
paper, glass
a blade of grass
your wife’s sitzfleisch
(it might help
to keep a dictionary
handy – but don’t
get lost in it).

Add a bit of word
picture to your list
not too much
just a pinch
pebbled, smooth
cold, humid
sweat –
that’s enough
for now.

Then answer
the only questions
you know
about one of the things
you just named:
what does it look like?
what sounds is it making?
what does it feel like?
what does your mouth
do when you taste it?
& does its odor cause you
to shrink or come closer?