by Arun Kapur
Waves & Rays & Particles
Once, at the shore, I submerged my body
below the wave’s crest. On my better days,
I like to think of us all in that flow and rush
and break. I like to believe we are all part
and parcel of the same swell. Regardless,
we still have to confront the mundanity
of stores. The technicolor cereal packaging.
The broccoli neon green. Animal. Mineral.
Regardless of where we are, let us season
what can sustain us. Ourselves, beyond the crust.
That artificial core. So much myth and stigma.
You want change? Here is your invitation
to the field. To one beast breathing. To
a lone bison on the last prairie in Nebraska.
Of course to live is to lose, it says. It says
it’s the ultimate verb, this acting out. Even
my computer’s long stretch into its own learning
I cannot stand to comprehend is occurring. So
what if. What if we are not as alone as. Not as
specific as. Unsingular. Maybe we are so much
being moved through. The ray’s sharp point
aiming. The particle’s particular heretofore trained.
I’m not sure about you but the thought makes me
want to swim into the Atlantic again. That night,
it was just us, and after dark closed in, we dove upon
each reflected astral light. Remember? That dive
into the water’s vast edging? Now, I want to hold
my breath again. I want to feel, after the parking lot
empties, released into the vast black space of asphalt.
I want to find our vehicle. And I want to get us home.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Alicia Hoffman now lives, writes, and teaches in Rochester, New York. Her recent poems can be found in a variety of journals, including The Penn Review, Glass Poetry, Radar Poetry, The Shore, Journal Nine, The Watershed Review, A-Minor Magazine, and elsewhere. Her new book, ANIMAL (Futurecycle Press) came out in March. Find out more at: www.aliciamariehoffman.com.
Arun Kapur is a mental health advocate that uses the medium of the arts to raise awareness of stigmas and well-being. Enigmatic. Charismatic. Passionate. Lover of life and all truth that binds us together. He believes that through art, life is created. Twitter: @arunkapur333