Relaxing or Voluntarily Having Dumb,…

Some people like to relax

and kick back with their friends

just talking and having a drink

which is obviously

highly pleasurable.

Some people like to be entertained

by music or a movie;

some people like to make some jokes

with people they like,

maybe at a bar

or at someone’s house.

Some people like to lay around

with another person,

just touching,

or to prepare food,

alone or with others

while listening to music

that they feel a particular

affinity for.

But sometimes people like to thrust themselves

into the howling wind and snow,

arms tied behind their backs.

I prefer to open my mouth wide open knowing what will happen

if I’m just holding my mouth open,

ready to respond or yell or whatever seems appropriate.

You know, I keep my mouth at the ready to make a lot of noise.

And sometimes it becomes filled

with hard packed snow or with sand,

sand being more of a problem,

since, you know,

it won’t melt.

Copyright Credit: Marie Buck, "Relaxing or Voluntarily Having Dumb, Unpleasant Experiences ." Copyright © 2017 Marie Buck. Used by permission of the author for PoetryNow, a partnership between the Poetry Foundation and the WFMT Radio Network.

Source: PoetryNow (2017)