Arms outstretched
Legs free
Laying in the grass
The cushioned maw of the earth
Ringed by rocky teeth
Momentarily lit in vivid gold
Peacefully pinned to the side of the earth
All degrees, tilts, speeds, and rotations
Made absolutely and beautifully meaningless
By my own sheer insignificance
Which feels significant
Staring into the twilight
And the atmospheric ecstasy of light
While the world blurs at the periphery
—
Hands on the wheel
Sitting passively as I turn the car
Eyes momentarily distracted
As the world shifts instantaneously
The car grunts as it scallops a curb
–I have still never seen an airbag,
At least the real ones, the cement sack that pummels your face,
As retribution for vehicular intransigence–
Yet still
My head spins
And my nose bleeds
—
Fear and wonder live on the same sliding scale
The experience of life
This insane consciousness
Our tenuous and broken grip on reality
Is terrifyingly beautiful
And dares us to look away
