Audio: Comfy

I have another audio post for you today. This time, I've read "Comfy", which I posted fairly recently.

When I wrote this poem, I had noticed several people saying the word, "comfy." What struck me was the similarity in their intonation and body language while speaking, and my own, when I've said it. While saying this word, almost everyone shrugs their shoulders and pulls their arms closer to their bodies, like we are hugging ourselves. It's funny how we comfort ourselves with certain words and ideas, and how we invoke comfort through childlike language.

To listen to "Comfy," click here.

I also wanted to mention that I'm looking forward to creating more videos here. I did get an exciting toy today--a shiny new Flip cam--yippee! I can't wait to experiment with it.

Hope your weekend is fun. Or at least comfy....

Comfy

Comfy

We yearn to feel comfortable,
to imagine that the world babies us.

We baby the word, swaddle it
in down blankets, coo comfy into

the fleeced sheets. Discomfort
is temporary, we learn as infants,

as children, but even as adults
we pretend that comfort, fullness,

warmth will never lapse. Why
is this happening, we cry out

when it does, as the tabletop
inches out from under our hands,

place settings rattling in front
of us, knives and spoons clanking,

and then it is ripped away
from us, the floorboards, too, flaking

and splintering as they fall
into the windy, cavernous darkness.

Just as we locate our center
of gravity, the chaos fairy visits at night,

loops lead weights around
our limbs, ties balloons to our hearts.

In the morning, we wrap
ourselves in blankets, close our eyes.

Just five more minutes,
we implore our consciousness.