we could but we won’t
Stephen House
we could pull together all the information we have digested from told-you-so speeches on everything possible with rules laid down expected and insisted upon without reasons why and from ancient documents forced from controlling legalities with patriarchies joining with likeminded to show agreement for that they preached loud but weren’t too sure about anyway as various decrees were passed down by the in power last lot and we could sweep them into a pile to destroy but we won’t as maybe a few valuable words existed in all that rubbish
we could grab the useless stuff collected continuing to drain us and was not much wanted and plans that didn’t work and sort them into wobbly boxes that collapse and hold on to what we don’t need and possibly even worship it even though we know as others near us do it will fizzle instantly when time creeps in to grab us as it does without gesture or warning while we still hopefully wish to be floating-on happily alive and we could make the choice to get rid of it but we won’t as maybe holding on to baggage offers a comforting escape
we could let go of all of those we pulled around us for self-safety through biology of birth and ancestors and friendships that gave some worth of we are lucky ones with others by us and it will continue if we’re human enough to cherish what some don’t as it can be a gauge of a valued accompanied ride for other ways are unwanted as we travel roads because if we believe they will stay with us and keep feeling as we do they probably will and we could discard those but we won’t as maybe we fear reclining on fragile alone in cold truth reality
Stephen House has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright, and actor. He’s had 20 plays produced with many published by Australian Plays Transform. He’s received several international literature residencies from The Australia Council for the Arts, and an Asialink India literature residency. He’s had two chapbooks published by ICOE Press Australia: ‘real and unreal’ poetry and ‘The Ajoona Guest House’ monologue. His poetry is published often. His next book drops soon. He performs his acclaimed monologues widely. Stephen’s play, ‘Johnny Chico,’ ran in Spain for 4 years.