Today you show the world what you wore to work
say something passive-aggressive
believe you’ll get your entire house clean
tell a lie
show the world your new decorations
believe you’ll reach your goal weight
say you are heartbroken about the tragedy you have half-forgotten
believe that the president will be impeached
show the world your dog is just as frisky as yesterday
find a Pinterest article about how to stop living paycheck to paycheck
show the world every crumb of everything you ate
believe you are on the verge of witnessing the apocalypse
show the world what you drank
recount the exact amount you consumed
say that tomorrow you’ll regret how much you drank
feel guilty for how much you ate
believe that tomorrow you’ll stop procrastinating
say you’re blessed
feel like a failure
believe you will write a poem
say something that didn’t need to be said
show the world the stack of books you’ll get around to reading someday
say you’re grateful
believe you’ll swipe right on the love of your life
show the world an off-center snapshot of your illegible work-in-progress
believe you can write another book
show the world how your bathroom tile shines
believe you’ll be able to concentrate for more than five minutes.
Today New Zealand courts ruled that Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the United States
Kraft dropped its bid to buy Unilever
a celebrity posted a nude selfie, deleted it, then reposted it
Greece’s bailout is on shaky grounds again
Iraqi forces are advancing on Mosul
Russia promised a ceasefire in Ukraine
the Gambia finally swore in its new president
China banned coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year.
Today you write, except you stop when you feel guilty about ignoring your dog
turn from the page to the news scrolling along the bottom of the TV
remember that the toilet is dirty
turn from the page to an after-hours work email
forget everything you dreamed you were going to say
turn from the page to your phone to see what other poets are wearing and drinking
keep making excuses why this poem shouldn’t be a priority
turn from the page to the computer screen just in case you’re missing out on something
stop because you’re tired and have to get up early in the morning
you don’t like anything you planned to say.
The Author
Allyson Whipple believes that writing, walking, meditation, and rest have the capacity to heal. She teaches at Austin Community College and is the author of two chapbooks. Allyson holds an MFA from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Allyson Whipple