leaps andbounds

dear reader,

do you know

do you feel

can you tell

can you feel

a pulse returning

a beat forming

a procession in the distance

a remembering

a rekindling

a refinding

a pulse returning

it's just us in this space

it's undiscovered

under the covers

it's just us

as a whisper

imagine:

select an age and envision yourself so.

you are seated in the smaller auditorium space within your high school. you are surrounded by classmates, teachers, and adults. you have just finished reading night by elie wiesel. you are listening to a local Holocaust survivor, a neighbor, answer questions about their life from a stage.

your attention turns to the stairs sixteen seats to your left. an outspoken teacher's aide is standing there. folders and files are being clutched to their chest with X'ed arms. your best friend hates the aide because they called him out in class once. the type of adult students, people actually, groan for.

the teacher's aide raises their hand to ask a question. when called upon, tears erupt:

how could this have gone on for so long? how could America have waited so long to get involved? how could we have let this happen for so long when we knew?

for whatever reason

for however long

for whomever

you choose

to reach

to have

to hold

to try

you choose

you chose

and my word for you

is practiced.

a pulse

within the procession

a recognition

of distance

between

then and now

us and them

right and wrong

human and animal

dead and alive

leaps

andbounds

leaps

andbounds

leaps

andbounds

leaps

andbounds

leaps

andbounds

leaps

andbounds

start asking questions

(just begin)

and keep asking them

what is a human life for?

reap to sow

no matter what,

the cycle moves forward

i alongside you

you alongside we

we alongside us

so lemme see

(the distance between)

your teeth.

if you keep trying,

i’ll keep trying too.

as an undiscovered space,

as a whispering agreement,