content warning
19 descriptions of physical pain
vivid imagery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
series: listening to pain
afternoon delight
as befits this piece – this took many hours to transcribe here while my body was overwhelmed with too much pain to do anything else but slowly poke away at my phone screen — with much peace, joy, and gladness of heart (:
completely unplanned — months apart — there are 19 index-card-beings in both this and humanings
that’s just how the universe works baby ( when we’re aligned )
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one afternoon i sat in the shade of the tree in the place i call my home
this human body interpreted the sensations occupying this physical form
onto paper
there are more sensations of significance to be noted
but
this human body ran out of energy to transcribe
one half hour was enough
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
as one sensation was successfully honored
the next would be revealed
like layers of an onion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
this experience started on a whim / intuition
without intent or expectation
the result was incredibly empowering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
once named
their power subsided
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
01
Driving
Nails
Like
Golf
Clubs
pounding pressure
ENT
sinus
02
Shooting
Friggin
Laser
Beams
OK
YOW YOW YOW YOW
induced by motionlessness
↳ vigorous shaking/vibrating can
prevent onset
caused by ¿ ?
03
Tiny
Little
Nibbles
But
Everywhere
pin pricks of consumption
all through limbs
and body
(not head?)
intermittantly
04
Beeeeeees
Buzzzzzzing
Alllllllll
Aroooouuunnnd
Beeeeeeeeees
bees
lost
can't
escape
no
way
out
of
the
hive
H E L P
05
Biting
You
Biting
Me
Biting
RIGHT INSIDE KNEE
angry people
biting each other
stress / conflict DIRECTLY aggravates
06
Slowly
Surely
Wearing
Down
Cloth
like rubbing two pieces
of fabric together and slowly
wearing them away
OR
pushing two feathers
against/into each other and
getting all rumpbled
07
Smush
Smush
Squash
Smush
Smush
like whacking a piece of
meat against a table
over and over
dead
unfeeling
big fat lump o' nothin
08
Sore
All
Over
Why
Sore
the deep ache of metal
in cold
frigid brittle penetrative
ache prolongued enduring
constant unending
expanding bloated inflated
↖ ( and ↑ heat ) ↗
TOO MUCH
all joints
particularly ankles/knees/hips
09
GRIND
THEIR
BONES
TO
DUST
the scrapy scrape of
teeth on a popsicle stick
wood on wood
splintering
rough on rough
moving ungently
all joints
ESPECIALLY ALL
SPINE / WRISTS
an old tree creaking / swaying
in the wind
10
Squeezing
Things
Too
Tight
Smallbig
IT'S TOO FULL STOP
CRAMMING MORE IN
THERE WE CAN'T HOLD
IT ALL WE'RE ALREADY
OVERFLOWING WE ARE GOING TO
B U R S T
big PRESSURE FROM
ALL SIDES
SCRUNCHING UP FACE / EYEBROWS
11
Please
Stop
There
Too
Much
everything everywhere all the time
too much too much too much too much
ear -- eye eye -- ear
C L O S E I N P U T S
H A R D
12
I
Am
Tired
So
Tired
the bone weary ache
of trudging through snow
all day with no relief from
the wind and no end in sight
ready to collapse
but nowhere to
wind
scarf
cold
path
13
Stabbing
Blades
Hot
And
Cold
inside right knee
a metal blade
heated in the forge
an icicle
dripping
with frost
14
How
To Pull
The Tight
Even
Tighter
↑
| nose
|
| a rubber
| band that
| is already
| overstretched
| yet still being
| pulled
| adams
| apple
↓
15
The
Operation
Table
Is
Profound
oh god
bumping
wrong
suddenly E L E C T R I C
unexpectedly
overstimulation station
overwhelm surprise shock
16
Heavy
Things
Are
Too
Heavy
a dog who runs and runs and runs and runs and runs and can't stop chasing the ball and their whole body (particularly legs in back) are trembling shaking quivering
all my muscle
deep fatigue need rest and don't know how
deep weariness HUNGRY
17
Bellies
Deserve
Lovely
Beings
Inside
a gourd slowly shivering in
the sun
afraid of what is to come
unable to stop it
my stomach needs life
goodness joy warmth breath
of fresh
air
ALLERGIES SENSITIVE
18
I Dont
Have Space
To Listen
To Your
PAIN
my heart STOP
weeps giving
there me
is more
too
much
pain just
to be
hold happy
just help
people
19
Wobbly
Afraid
Untethered
Indeed
Falling
( my heels )
a tree unless
without they have
a taproot many other
will trees
surely fall to support
them
ungrounded fear
easily moved of the storm
easily swayed coming
—julaugust twothousandzerohundredstwentyfive
update
one two two two zero two six
- added connection to series: listening to pain
- added reference to humanings
- this beautiful being wanted to dress up / match their brother
- ( cleaned behind the ears while we were at it )
- this beautiful being wanted to dress up / match their brother
two three two zero two six
- humanings and afternoon-delight are officially twins
healing drew healing the world 