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Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Keep Your Balance

source
The head turns too quickly and
The room becomes a dizzying carnival ride
Mundane objects
pass in and out of vision like Dorothy's tornado
turn sinister in twisted vision:
Here's a stapler
Here's a desk chair
Here's a purse
Here's a window
Here's a pen
All fly by, ungraspable

Here is what you tell yourself:
It's all right
This feeling will pass
Hang on
You can get through this
Don't vomit
Calm down

Here is what you must do:
Lie down (the floor will do)
Close your eyes
Ignore the low hum/high ring  in your ear
Breathe
Breathe
Breathe
Wait

When it's over:
Assess the damage
Sit up slowly
Drink some water
Walk a straight line
Listen
Keep your balance
Keep your balance.

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, FB Friday, Recipe for...Poetry



6 comments:

Kerry O'Connor said...

You describe the vertigo-like symptoms so well, I felt alarmed while reading. It must be a terrible experience to go through. Your tips for coping could be applied to other situations in life - I'll take that away with me.

Fireblossom said...

"to don't list". This should top it, sounds like. Yikes!

C.C. said...

This sounds like such a difficult thing to have to face, but the voice that you use to tell yourself what to do sounds like such a calming influence, like you've got this, like you face this with courage and resilience and a sense of serenity. Your description gives the reader a peek into an insider's understanding for which I am grateful. Thank you.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Whew! And yet, a gradual finding of stability.

Marian said...

Good lord this is stressful! I wish to not learn about this personally, and for you to never experience it again.

grapeling said...

real and scary, LM ~