Yesterday, I tried something a little different. I started out writing a prose poem, but wasn’t satisfied with it—so I took what I had written and adapted it to more of a free-verse form. First, the prose poem:

Interference patterns

The layers of music in the air draw out the confusion. It’s thick, sluggish, a standing pool of everything dropped into my world and left to fester. The familiar feels strange and the strange seems familiar; intimacy is the meeting of the two I have yet to master, except from a distance. You may know that better than anyone else, considering you’ve had my fluctuations to contend with. For my part, I still haven’t figured out whether I should have gone after you that night instead of sitting there in the dark, lighting another cigarette and letting the shock slowly explode…

That 1LDK in Tokyo is now a one-bedroom on the outskirts of Seattle. The words on the screen lighting that darkened room take different forms, use different grammar—but tell the same stories, the ones I still watch over and over to catch what I missed the first time. And the next. And the next. And then come the layers of music in the air, drawing out the confusion.

The waves ripple outward…

(N.B., a 1 LDK is a one-room apartment with living, dining, and kitchen areas.)

Now the free-verse adaptation:

Interference patterns

Layers of music in the air
confusion

Thick, sluggish
a standing pool of everything
left to fester

Familiar feels strange
strange seems familiar
intimacy the meeting of the two
I have yet to master
except from afar

You’ve had my fluctuations
to contend with
I still haven’t figured out
whether I should have gone after you that night
instead of sitting there in the dark
lighting another cigarette
letting the shock slowly explode…

That 1LDK in Tokyo
now a one-bedroom in Seattle
The words on the screen
lighting that darkened room
take different forms
use different grammar—
but tell the same stories
the ones I still watch over and over
to catch what I missed the first time

And the next

And the next

And then
layers of music in the air

Confusion

The waves ripple outward…

(27 December 2016—posted December 28th)