Sammy: As I go through my day, I take quiet note of any funny situations that I find myself in. These are those situations that seem normal in the moment, but are actually ridiculous with added perspective. Like the moment an alarm goes off on the plane and the first thought I have is of my bags. My poetry gives me a way to pull together these disparate strands of images to highlight the irony of it all. I try to give the reader an authentic view into the thoughts in my mind so that they are swept up into the same moment I was in, only able to take a step back and reflect once the ride is over.
Ars Poetica
writing poetry is like taking a
flight, somehow you move
thousands of miles/hour
through the air, but all
you really think about
is the annoying baby
crying in the seat
behind you while
the guy next to
you tries to talk
to you when
you clearly
just want
to sleep,
but no,
you can’t sleep because the emergency
alarm has gone off and before you know
it you are fully aware of the speed
because you’re falling, faster and faster,
down into the real world, but soon
enough you forget about the speed at
which you fall and instead worry about
your bags; what will come of your gifts
if the bags don’t arrive on time? What
will you say to your friends? Your family?
You cannot return without them. The
airline better not mess it up like they did
that one time in Chicago. Such terrible
memories. You prep yourself on what
you’ll say to customer service when the
bags don’t get in. Start a bit aggressive
with a hint of desperation, ask to speak
with the manager, no, demand it, but
don’t be too demanding. It’s an art, the
art of complaining. Like any other art
it requires much patience and discipline
in order to fall so fast without even a passing thought about reality.
Cover photo by Nils Nedel on Unsplash