Archive for September, 2012

Arlene’s Grocery 03.21.12

subway ride want

I’d like to be open
I’m on the subway
It’s cool in the air conditioning
What and why is this moment?
A man at the end of my row seems to be humming opera-type music
He is Asian
I can hear it clearly, in fact
it sounds like he’s right next to me humming right into my ear
Now a girl with a colorful flannel shirt sat down next to me
Oranges & reds
Multicolored checked backpack
Why am I having this experience?
I am not reminded of anything
I am not prompted in any other way to do anything other than I am doing
I type this with my thumbs into my new ‘smart’ phone.

Now I’m getting off to transfer to the local.
Old men, bald men, black men, yuppie-looking men
Some attractive women, everyone’s normal
Only sometimes does my life feel like this,
like not much
but fine.

And at the same time,
and even though I know I live in a statistically uncommon situation of luxury and ease,
mostly because of where and to whom I was born,
partially because of my choices, my actions,
I still feel want intensely
every single day
And assume, like it’s always said,
that this is the normal (and therefore, acceptable) way to be
But I wonder very often
if just maybe
it is not

Teachers’ Advice

I was interviewed by the blog Groove Loves Melody – one of the questions they asked was about a past teacher’s advice that has stuck with you.

Here’s the article