POETRY
What seemed ridiculous at one point has become mundane.
Words by Ralph Eliot Seaborn & illustration by Nélida Zubia
your body knows
it guides you
dispensing chemicals
that course through your entire being
stomach clenches
mouth goes dry
a muscle keeps twitching
you keep a finger on
forehead, pushing between eyebrows
closing your eyes
oh, why is this happening
you wonder
as you take 10 seconds for yourself
away from this
weird situation
suddenly
as you’re finally going to bed
you realise
your surroundings before
echo a dream you had
so long ago it’s impossible
to remember when
it’s all come true
what seemed ridiculous at one point
has become mundane
ergo: current dreams
will become reality
be careful what you dream about
making a split-second decision
you choose what you know
because you know how to handle it
stepping away from a scenario
that’s too much hassle
there’s an insistent voice
“no, this is not the way
you know what you ought to do”
then you know you’re not doing the right thing
betraying yourself
your instinct
it makes no sense
but it’s impossible to ignore
this feeling
of being a coward
playing it safe
risking nothing
the most precious things
are a gamble
where you’re willing to
lose all
because potentially winning
is worth so much more
than what you have
and your throat is eager to make a sound
your heart is bursting
everything is on fire within you
this uncontrollable desire
has already burned everything
that seemed precious before
so there is nothing to lose anymore
what do you have, really?
did you not dream of this?
what is it you want
what will make you happy
can you be satisfied
there is no satisfaction
the hunt for happiness
is the only quest for glory
in our mortal existence
the only certainty is death
do you want to live before you go?
heeding this voice
that whispers each night
of magic & impossible things
impossible now
but everything changes
tomorrow is different
next month will be different
you will change
everything is ever mutating
into unfamiliar shapes
your body feels different
the world has shifted
it’s more like what you thought it should be
Ralph Eliot Seaborn is a writer in London with a penchant for nebulous power sources and natural polymer fibres. A perfect day for Ralph would include flying a kite in the park, cooking the perfect beef stroganoff & finally finishing that ten thousand piece puzzle