2022-11-04 #writing/poetry #poem-a-day#seed


not frozen but dancing?

chrysalis in amber dances among stars chrysalis in amber attempts to dance chrysalis in amber tries to dance chrysalis in amber dance with me


chrysalis in amber seeking flight or, when you are in love but it’s not yet appropriate to say so missing definitions abound among uncertain futures. you tell me you’re terrified by uncertainty. I say destabilized. immobilized. we agree it’s too soon. fast. much.

a caterpillar caught in a web trying to grow wings. trying to learn how to learn the meaning of flight from the sky’s perspective.

I think I think too much. you say you’re in your head too much.
when I visit, the door lingers in the threshold a question mark following questions.

we share everything except time we’re on different branches belong to different roots child fossils wiggling their toes and clumsy arms caterpillars before metamorphosis chrysalis in amber.

we let the silence sit. each with our own tending to our hearts. I imagine your face through the phone. I picture you picturing my face in the frame I wonder if our feelings can sneak through screens & circuits.

if god made the phone, would we be able to send love instead of misinterpreting texts?

we agree it’s logical plans shouldn’t change because of us. we agree on logic. we are bodies commanded by rationals so why do plans conspire to suicide? why does the cat eat them? why do they unravel absolutely,

it’s not appropriate, we think don’t read into it, we say we’ve built walls around our own doused our words in cold water bland morsels are poor substitutes for discovered fire the glint seen in every moon we witness together, the flash when a drop of sap grows up into a meteor, the warmth in those once-in-a-while moments when you find communion with the world and think to yourself how can life be so amazing, how is this real, how lucky I am to be alive, it can’t get better than this and then remember there’s someone who can someone who can convert light into stardust.


chrysalis in amber tries to dance through screens among stars from https://coda.io/d/Writing-Hub_dYsYg7d1EIu/Portland-Review-Submission_su7a2#_lurCp

we're in the moment when we are       

in love but it's not yet appropriate 

to say so. it's too   soon. 

                      fast.

                      good. 

  

missing definitions abound among uncertain futures.

you tell me you're terrified by uncertainty. I say 

destabilized. immobilized. entrenched in four

feet of concrete (the kind you wrote an essay on,

terrible for the earth and unyielding) a caterpillar caught

in a web    trying to grow wings.

trying to learn how    to grow wings,

to learn what     wings are

the meaning of flight 

from the sky's perspective.    I think 

I think too much.     you say you're 

in your head too much.   When I visit,

the door lingers in the threshold.

  

we share    everything    except time

we're on different branches        belong to different trunks

moving fossils wiggling their toes and clumsy arms. 

caterpillars on the verge of metamorphosis     chrysalis in amber

dusty oranges    milky brown soil.    Freeze Frame.  work in progress.

  

we let the silence sit. each with our own 

tending to our hearts.  I imagine your

face through the phone. I picture you

picturing my face in    the frame    I wonder if our 

feelings can sneak through    screens & circuits. 

  

if god made the phone, would we be able to send 

love    instead of misinterpreting texts? 

  
we agree              it's logical my plans shouldn't 

change      because of you.    we agree 

on logic.    we are bodies    commanded by rationals

so why     do my plans conspire to suicide? why 

does the cat eat them? why do they unravel 

absolutely, rolls of old film twirling.

  
it's not appropriate, we think 

don't read into it, we say 

we've built walls for our own

protection doused our words in cold 

water to scour seasoning                limp, bland morsels are 

poor substitutes for invented fire

the kind I see in glimpses every moon we witness together, 

the source of light when a drop of sap from a tree grows up and becomes a meteor, 

the origin of warmth in those moments of rare wonder when 

you find communion                     with the world and think 

to yourself             how can life be so amazing,

            how is this real, how lucky I am 

            to be alive, it can't 

            get better than this

and then remember   there's someone 

who can                     someone who can

        convert light into stardust.

chrysalis in amber tries to dance through the screens among the stars

we're in the moment when we are       
in love but it's not yet appropriate 
to say so. it's too 
soon. fast. good. 

missing definitions abound among uncertain futures.
you tell me you're terrified by uncertainty. I say 
destabilized. immobilized. entrenched in four
feet of concrete (the kind you wrote an essay on,
terrible for the earth and unyielding) a caterpillar caught
in a web    trying to grow wings. 
trying to learn how    to grow wings,
to learn what     wings are
and the meaning of flight 
from the sky's perspective.    I think 
I think too much.     you say you're 
in your head too much.   I visit.
The door lingers in the threshold.

we share    everything    except time
we're on different branches        belong to different trunks
moving fossils wiggling their toes and clumsy arms. 
caterpillars on the verge of metamorphosis     chrysalis in 
amber    dusty oranges    milky brown soil.    Freeze Frame.  work in progress.

we let the silence sit. each with our own 
feelings tending to our own hearts.  I imagine your 
face through the phone. I picture you 
picturing my face in    the frame    I wonder if our 
feelings can sneak through    screens & circuits. 

if god made the phone, would we be able to send 
love    rather than texts? 

we agree              it's logical my plans shouldn't 
change      because of you.    we agree 
on logic.    we are bodies    commanded by rational
so why     do my plans conspire to leave? why 
does the cat eat them? why do they unravel 
absolutely, refuse reunion, like rolls of old film.

it's not appropriate we think 
don't read into it too much we say 
we've built walls for our own 
protection douse our words in cold 
water to scour seasoning                limp, bland morsels are 
poor substitute for the fire                stoking in our                  inner caves 
the ones I see in glimpses every moon we witness together, 
the source of flashes when a drop of sap from a tree grows up to become a meteor with the help of the sun, 
the origin of warmth in those moments of rare wonder when 
you find communion                            with the world and think 
to yourself             how can live be so amazing,
						how is this real, how lucky I am 
						to be alive, it can't 
						get better than this
and then remember   there's someone 
who can                       someone who
				converts light into stardust.

chrysalis in amber tries to dance through the screens among the stars

we're in           the moment when we are       
in love      but           not yet appropriate 
to say so.         it's too 
soon. fast. good            to stop and talk.

missing definitions       uncertain futures 
				   abound. 
you tell me                               you're terrified by uncertainty. I say 
destabilized. immobile. entrenched in four                     feet of concrete (the kind
you wrote an essay about and not the sustainable kind either). 
a caterpillar caught              in a web     trying to grow 
	wings. trying to learn how                          to grow wings,      to learn what 
wings are                      to learn the meaning of flight 
the sky's perspective.                      I think I think too much you say you're 
in your head too much.   I ask to visit.        you welcome me in.      the door lingers
after           in the threshold.

we share             everything                 except the time
	we're on different branches        belong to different trunks
moving fossils wiggling their toes      and arms clumsy                     expanding
lungs. caterpillars on the verge of              metamorphosis                      chrysalis in 
amber dusty oranges                  milky brown soil           Freeze Frame. work in progress.


we let                     the silence 
sit. each with our own 
feelings tending            to our own hearts.  I imagine your 
face through the phone.                         I picture you 
picturing my face in               the frame    I wonder if our 
feelings can sneak through   screens     & circuits. 

if god made        the phone, would we be able to send 
love                      rather than texts? 

we agree              it's logical my plans shouldn't 
change      because of you.                   we agree 
on logic.               we are bodies           commanded by rational
so why           do my plans conspire     to leave. why does the cat eat them. 
why do they            unravel absolutely refuse to 
come together       like rolls of old film.

it's not appropriate                          we think 
don't read into it too much             we say 
we've built                  walls for our own 
protection        douse our words in cold 
water to scour seasoning                limp, bland morsels are 
poor substitute for the fire                stoking in our                  inner caves 
the ones I see in glimpses every moon we witness together, 
the source of flashes when a drop of sap from a tree grows up to become a meteor with the help of the sun, 
the origin of warmth in those moments of rare wonder when 
you find communion                            with the world and think 
to yourself             how can live be so amazing,
						how is this real, how lucky I am 
						to be alive, it can't 
						get better than this
and then remember   there's someone 
who can                       someone who
				converts light into stardust.