Anxious

CONTEXT: April, 2010

This is another poem developed during an exercise at one of the Ingredients wokshops.

For this one Brandon asked everyone to take a small piece of paper and label the sides A and B. Then on each side we were to write a feeling you had had during the day, at any point.

We then switched up the pieces so we had someone else’s. Then we were to write a poem with the word on side A as the poem title and the word on side B being the last word of the poem.

The words I received were ‘anxious’ and ‘happy’.

Anxious

Little tingles on the
Back of my neck
Turn scratchy and
penetrate my skin like a
Messed up acupuncturist
With a warped sense
Of humor.
Sweat rusn in rivulets gushing
Into the Rideau River wrapping
‘Round the small of my back.
I could settle my body
If I could settle my mind
But unbidden thoughts zap
Around like fireflies
But the awe of the spectacle
Is overrun by the frenetic
Energy until nothing is
Peaceful.
Ideas are electricity
But ungrounded
Until it hits the clouds
And anxiety becomes poetry.
Trobules slink back into
Their holes – held back
Until they can be let out,
One at a time – manageable.

But for now
Fireflies flit across the
grass in a dance of
Faerie-light and music.

For now things are gentle.

For now I am happy.

“““““““““

Next is another short, emotion-based poem.