Joshua Keiter

Now that everyone agrees it is time 
to return to normal by which they mean 
an increasing number of traumatic 
events we could not have foreseen without
reference to how long we were upset 
things have not returned to what we wanted 
to perceive as acceptably normal
which might have included crying at work
in bathrooms because we could not take it
anymore then suddenly no one could 
and increasingly fewer of us will
because they haven’t noticed the numbers 
keep increasing or keep staying the same 
life is just a number without a name

Everyone has forgotten how to be 
social says the guy on the radio
making pancakes for strangers in the park 
the kind of story we should expect now
we seem to be in between Greek letters 
accelerating the loosening of
restrictions almost faster than ever
because letting our masks down last time made 
so much sense it lasted about a week
then we were in the biggest hole climbing
the tallest mountain at some point we gave
up counting like the numbers made no sense 
at some point it will be everyone so
the indifferent make pancakes to go

Why does a slight change in temperature
make us race outside to frolic in grass 
still yellow not trimmed in almost three months
Christmas trees and lights stand in disarray
could the soil be evidence of planting 
green shoots arriving too soon or too late 
to avoid the cold snap around the bend 
each winter as long as I remember 
has an unseasonable patch of warmth
how far above average can we reach
until we concede a new average
disoriented in exuberance 
seasons will no longer have a meaning 
just open space that we should be cleaning

Who among us has not flushed important 
documents down the toilet or tried to
by accident of course jamming the course 
of justice before rounding the u-bend
for all we know they might still be stuck there 
past the point they could be taped together 
or amended using magic marker
to demarcate the true path the storm took
straight into the shitter we knew it would
no forecast needed media email
server deserves front page coverage though
what could obstruction of justice entail
that won’t be observed beyond page 15
they say who they are report what they mean

When all paths are blocked don’t be so sure that 
the path not taken isn’t blocked as well
maybe regret is a component of 
retreat backing away from the silence 
of wondering which way is the right way
when there is no way of knowing despite
all evidence just to the contrary
surely letting go of all volition
is a sure recipe for disaster 
never knowing what could be the future 
stuck in some sad resemblance of the past 
spinning infinite threads to the present 
following you through bad decisions made 
by some version of yourself you can’t save