Do less
by Joy Williams
No one knows how
We got here.
Time lost focus –
A whole day’s worth.
Still, perhaps it’s okay
Sometimes. In fact,
Sometimes we must
Look to the ocean
Nestled comfortably,
Dwelling deep
Even under these constraints.
Poetry is not a luxury
for Audre Lorde
The quality of light
Has direct bearing
Upon this form
This illumination
Nameless and formless
Births dark within
Hidden and growing
Your beautiful nightmare
Of places within
These places are dark
Are ancient
Have survived
Within each of us
It is dark
It is ancient
We come as
A desperate wish
We come cobbled
By daily lives
Not idle fantasy
The skeleton of lives
The foundation
Of what has been
Neither forever nor instant
Astrology
Who cares if it isn’t
Real. You were born.
You took your first
Breath. No longer
Existing inside
The future, but
Distinct, astrologically
Speaking. The uses
Are vast and varied.
As a mirror offers
Reassurance and
Alchemy, serious
And vaguely silly,
The reality of the sky
Seems its own kind
Of magic. A chance
To see mirrors
Inextricably linked
To other mirrors,
All looking up. But
The sky isn’t enough
If you want to know,
Ultimately, why
Oceans rise, forests burn.
Ritual
If you hate your job.
If you have a job you dislike.
If you have an unpleasant job.
Please consider building a ritual.
You are free to create one
Anywhere, any time.
There is no place and no time
Not possible.
Keep it simple at the start:
Go to the refrigerator.
The possibilities are endless.
Reach for the milk,
The leftovers,
The hovering moth.
Outrun patterns,
Inhale coffee beans.
If the coffee does not work,
Stare straight ahead.
This always works.
Note: It is essential to do this
Sitting. Feet flat, back straight.
Close your eyes fast as you can.
Repeat. When finished,
Repeat once more.
BIO
Since the pandemic struck, Joy Williams has been holed up in her apartment writing and wishing she had a dog.
