” Nothing prepares you for…”
Is fair-weather conversation
Fit for elevators and funeral homes
Nodding along
Like it means something
Like it’s wise
But it’s only as wise
As the weather report
When a cold front rolls in
From the west
Or a high-pressure system
Settles in on you
What are your action steps?
Shiiiiiit…
What have you been prepared for
Beyond arming
And disarming yourself
With layers thin or thick?
Nothing has prepared you
For the worst you will know
But not everything requires preparation
Some awfulness simply requires
Your actual presence
And you will endure into
What your suffering—
Noble
Or ignoble—
Prepares
You towards
Before sending you brave
Perhaps bruised
Through the door
Into your elements
