Listening

by Alexander Kretzschmer

As I sit by the stream,

All my worries

Remove me from

The flowing waters

In front of me,

The world outside my head.

All I can see is

My problems inside my head.

It’s an illusion —

This bench by the river.

So what is true?

A metaphor about a bench by the river.

I was wrong to believe

“My writing brings me to the world.”

Rather, I say,

“I write to be removed from the world.”

So I can’t tell the ducks

To settle on this page as they pass.

Flowing down my arms, into pen then onto paper,

My worries

Explain what’s happening:

Memories

Change as I write

Helping me to see

My pen is kinder than my brain. So,

I write and

I write and

I write and

I write and

My pen is kinder than my brain. So,

Helping me to see

Change as I write,

Memories

Explain what’s happening:

My worries

Flowing down my arm, into pen then onto paper,

To settle on this page as they pass.

So I can’t tell the ducks

“I write to be removed from the world.”

Rather, I say,

“My writing brings me to the world.”

I was wrong to believe

A metaphor about a bench by the river.

So what is true?

This bench by the river.

It’s an illusion —

My problems inside my head.

All I can see is

The world outside my head.

In front of me,

The flowing waters

Remove me from

All my worries

As I sit by the stream,

Listening.