Dialectic

Your brain is a film
played at 5x speed –
the images barely intelligible,
leave no room for thought, only gut.
Meanwhile, the theater is collapsing
in slow motion.

So you step outside and
begin naming everything you see,
attempt to capture some of the air
you’ve been denied. A half-smile
can turn your day around, some ice
applies to the cheeks can freeze
a spiral.

Dear Man, act fast to improve
this moment. It’s all you have
to share. There never was
a straight road, but trust your
wise mind and I promise
you’ll make it to the third act.

When all else fails, radically
accept yourself. There, before
the climax of every outburst,
you can find a place to stop
and catch your breath.