sometimes they’re out of
turmeric so you ask them
to pivot.
ask them to
“be creative”,
with a smile
and a laugh.
trying to show that
you aren’t displeased.
that you are
agreeable.
that you don’t
care so much
that they are out of
turmeric.
the cinnamon on top
is a bit thick and
it threatens to choke you.
threatens to make you
cough abruptly,
drawing unwanted attention
to you.
you are careful
with your sips.
you are careful
with the ways you try to
convey information.
you hope other people
understand you,
but think that they
often do not.
you walk down the street
carefully;
it is a new street
to you,
but it is a street
just the same.
the old ways you learned to
navigate streets,
they still apply here.
careful not to make
too much eye contact.
careful not to appear
too vulnerable.
careful not to make
the female bodies
uncomfortable,
not to make
the male bodies
too enflamed.
it’s the
“hope”
and the
“understanding”
that cause most of the
issues.
the hope that there is
something outside of us
that will understand us.
that we ourselves can
understand ourselves.
this isn’t to say these are
“bad”, no,
just to say that it
makes sense to
use care.
to be careful.
not to get
too upset
when they are out of turmeric.
and they splash a little
too much cinnamon
on top.
zakschafer.com 