Marathon Reading
in honor of Dwayne Lawson- Brown
poem #363 of the marathon
a list of things to be
burned pages cinder
words drop and release
there are different ways to present
there are different ways to engage here
this leaf used to be
a tree
a pace of its own breath
now a shuffled understanding
I walk on all I held holy
nothing I own is mine
eyes look in a befuddled curiosity
I ask my ego, "can we share the light?"
"make it make dollars," they say
I lose myself in all the right places
a meandering legacy unwanting
this freedom has no genderA few weeks ago I went to friend’s poetry reading. It was in an art gallery that housed their first solo visual art exhibit. They set intention for the event by stating they would be reading without pause or commentary. Questions were welcomed but with no guarantee of being addressed. There was no known end time and no expectations for those in attendance. The reading began with them pacing the room, projecting their words from the page. As each poem ended, the page was shed. I stayed for about an hour, soaking in the inspiration. The above poem is a direct result of what I observed. Some of my favorite lines from their reading include:
“I’m beginning to forget more than I can remember.”
“How do you mourn in celebration?”
“I am homesick in my body.”
“Today I took the time to put the world down and pick myself up.”