The problem with life is that everything becomes metaphors, and then you start getting scared because everything has both insane amounts of meaning and no meaning at all at he same time...
Sometimes our brains stop us from living. But sometimes it doesn't matter...
What I love here is the quiet self-interrogation moving through ordinary gestures: the mirror, the kohl, the glasses. The poem keeps asking whether clarity comes from distance or proximity, and that question begins to feel larger than eyesight. Leaning in to see becomes a gentle metaphor for the way we approach life itself: sometimes too close, sometimes too guarded.
That line about substances offering “a way to look at the world without seeing it” is especially sharp. It names numbness without romanticizing it, yet still recognizes the strange mercy it can carry.
What lingers most is the honesty. The poem doesn’t resolve the tension between moderation and excess, it simply holds it up to the light, the way one studies their own reflection a moment longer than usual.
Thank you, Dipti. I think you’re right about how my writing here fluctuates between being too close and being too guarded. There’s a fine line. Sometimes I think living moderately is like learning how to tightrope. I’m also not sure I’d reserve it to substance use or allowing one’s self to be intoxicated by a feeling to the point where they become negligent of reality.
I like the way you describe moderation as a tightrope. It suggests balance isn’t a place we arrive at, but a series of small, living adjustments.
And you’re right, intoxication isn’t limited to substances. Feelings, certainty, even our own narratives can draw us so close to experience that the edges blur.
Which is why the poem’s attention to vision feels so fitting. It lingers in that delicate space between seeing clearly and leaning too far in and the poem itself walks that line with a quiet steadiness.
That numbness … it’s like taking a break from living 🫶🌸
It’s like hearing your private thoughts. A stream of consciousness giving us a small insight into your inner world.
That was the idea here. Thanks for catching. I appreciate you reading.
Beautiful.
The problem with life is that everything becomes metaphors, and then you start getting scared because everything has both insane amounts of meaning and no meaning at all at he same time...
Sometimes our brains stop us from living. But sometimes it doesn't matter...
What I love here is the quiet self-interrogation moving through ordinary gestures: the mirror, the kohl, the glasses. The poem keeps asking whether clarity comes from distance or proximity, and that question begins to feel larger than eyesight. Leaning in to see becomes a gentle metaphor for the way we approach life itself: sometimes too close, sometimes too guarded.
That line about substances offering “a way to look at the world without seeing it” is especially sharp. It names numbness without romanticizing it, yet still recognizes the strange mercy it can carry.
What lingers most is the honesty. The poem doesn’t resolve the tension between moderation and excess, it simply holds it up to the light, the way one studies their own reflection a moment longer than usual.
Thank you, Dipti. I think you’re right about how my writing here fluctuates between being too close and being too guarded. There’s a fine line. Sometimes I think living moderately is like learning how to tightrope. I’m also not sure I’d reserve it to substance use or allowing one’s self to be intoxicated by a feeling to the point where they become negligent of reality.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I like the way you describe moderation as a tightrope. It suggests balance isn’t a place we arrive at, but a series of small, living adjustments.
And you’re right, intoxication isn’t limited to substances. Feelings, certainty, even our own narratives can draw us so close to experience that the edges blur.
Which is why the poem’s attention to vision feels so fitting. It lingers in that delicate space between seeing clearly and leaning too far in and the poem itself walks that line with a quiet steadiness.
Excellent as usual 🌺
It is very hard to be true to yourself and not be drawn towards excess..
Every day i fight that urge..
I can very much relate to what you say about substances. They have a certain grace in the way they numb this world and make it manageable..
But theres also a certain grace in feeling what you need to feel, then letting it go..
Anyways. I very much relate to your writing always..