Ode to Wislawa Szymborska
Where Marjorie Main and I are twins
Why do I get stuck in meetings before I’ve had time to eat lunch?
— that moment when you cannot remember words and have to say important things like “Let’s take this into consideration,” but can’t remember “consideration” so you say “Let’s think this.”
Why did the dog throw up on the new couch cover, the good one, and not the blue one?
— the yellow bile is foamy. And always at 7:05 a.m. when I walk out the door.
Why am I the only one driving around in a 20 year old beat up car (thought I have to say I love the V6 engine)?
— it still beats many fellow cars on the 95.
Why do people in offices that deal with important things walk so slow? Why?
— and they walk slow on purpose! I am sure of it!
Why have plastic water bottles become to flimsy?
— a wrench is needed to remove the cap, or a bloody hand.
Why did that shoe company stop making those shoes that never gave me blisters?
— and what robot feet do the rest of you have, you who never get blisters?
Why am I always the one who has to reach out to people and stay in touch?
— bothers the crap out of me some days!
Why don’t they make any good movies anymore (except Nolan of course)?
— it’s like living in an alien world where familiar words and objects have been scrambled and rearranged in a haphazard way.
Why do we all act as if struck by lightning when we forget to bring our phone?
— because it does! Doesn’t it?
Why isn’t there a direct flight between Miami and Helsinki all year round?
— not that anyone would ever visit…
Why can’t I ever learn how to set my hair in a perfect bun?
— and why will I always look like Marjorie Main in The Women?
Why is it so difficult to find my tribe?
— don’t even need a whole tribe, just two people would be nice to begin with!
Every now and then Wislawa pops up in my mind. I love her poems. I can hear her and understand her in her lines. I am there, and I see everything she says. I am with Wislawa in her poems.
This is my submission for the Soaring Twenties Social Club Symposium. We are a group of creatives and writers who share ideas and companionship. Each month, STSC members create something around a theme, this month's theme being “Rant”.
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"Why do people in offices that deal with important things walk so slow? Why?
— and they walk slow on purpose! I am sure of it!"
Hi. I walk slowly in the office building. On purpose.
Why?
Because we are not emergency services. There is no fire. There is no heart attack. There is no emergency. If "important" things are so "urgent" that being delayed, like, 1 minute to get to your desk will ruin something, that thing should have been done well in advance.
Sorry!
:)