Content
Audio: Read by the author.
It is not yet after the pandemic
but most of us have bared our faces
in public. Most of us are a little haptic
though we remain somewhat wary
of strangers merging in enclosures &
what does it mean, to gather? To take up
from a resting place. We are so tired.
We are uncovered & mustering
strength. Never mind my mother’s
post-stroke slurred speech & vertigo,
her ear crystals misaligned, her
neck brace. We are survivors of the
panic wars. We are reaching new
conclusions intuitively from inferences
about hugging. My radar is broken.
I’m not sure where to put all my limbs.
When they’re tangled with yours it’s not
a problem. Your failing configurations
of attention. My bad knees. To draw
fabric into puckers: pleated pants,
rumpled sheets, your fingers hooked
in my underpants & we bring together
all the parts of ourselves to embrace—
haul in our bodies. To harvest, like
clusters of ripened cherry tomatoes
still warm from the sun. Forget
the kale, stripped bare by bright-
green cabbage worms congregating
on thick stems. To summon everyone
back to this abundant & skeletal planet
after we’ve jettisoned the billionaires
into space. We celebrate the launch
with tiny coupes of champagne.
To throw open the doors & host
guests & board packed planes where
everyone is cranked & cranky about
proximity still. But look at the skyline—
clutches of buildings reaching for
billows of clouds. To assemble
in a sequence for binding, somewhere
past contact tracing. Gather is a
transitive verb.
"gather" - Google News
September 27, 2021 at 05:03PM
https://ift.tt/3AG34HL
“To Gather Together,” by Erika Meitner - The New Yorker
"gather" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Sqdbwp
https://ift.tt/2Yjhqxs
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "“To Gather Together,” by Erika Meitner - The New Yorker"
Post a Comment