extremity

clicking on the television,

wiping that index over the

touch screen,

flipping the proper pc switch

or

hearing the statistics on the

radio on the way to work or

whilst already bogged down

in the office, while

working on the production line,

while moving one fry cage to the

next vat,

when others are dying

in mass numbers,

there is an envy in the

extremity.

 

tragedy hones down the reality

of existence to the head of a diamond,

perfect & exclusive to one

experience which relies on

one objective & all the energy,

all the experiences of one’s life

thrive on survival in the moment,

using every skill at one’s disposal,

wanting nothing but to stop the hunger,

to stop the pain, to pause the

chaos & to prevent further descent

into madness, emotional death,

shutting down & inevitably

the ceasing of all things.

 

if we could access this extremity

without facing tragedy, if we could

appreciate hunger so much, so as

to delight in the greatest extent the

next time that we eat & to love

rest so much, to indulge in the next

time we get to sleep & to delight in

what is unique to each of us (with

the possibility while we’re all still

alive, to pass on, to exchange, to

hand down & to share) enough so

as to listen, learn & ever be

trying to understand & make

better the lives of those around us

as well as our own,

well,

then that would be something.