Tag Archives: how to relax

A Hard Fall

A hard fall separate and divided
the returns bags of bottles
and illuminated cans
set lists of dying songs
and a guy in a brown study
disquieted over how much
everyone paid coprophagous
possum grin pocket change
and beer in his beard.

Heard not smelt nor sniped
learning to relax and unblame
to understand every Tom
Dick and Harry and Sue
Jane and Mary their woes
worries whys and wherefors
until the body oak cask aged
slows to a broken bicycle crawl
drink from a cold army canteen.

In fall when worry turns
to gold and rust the lorry
covered with lurry tarps
and no leary ear longing trips
by the river down the valley
to the coast faraway swells
ocean crossed turn to waves
everything that ever came
breaks in this only moment.

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?