i.
the day is knocking on your bedroom window. pull the covers over your eyes—
refuse to see it. refuse to understand the world you occupy—refuse to be it.
when the time finally comes to knock the nails from your coffin and rise,
wipe the night from your face. wipe away yesterday let it drain down the
sink. don’t let anybody see. don’t let anybody know where you’ve been
what you’ve done.

ii.
walk the halls of your house. back and forth and back and forth
try to find purpose on the hardwood floors try to find the thoughts
as they float away catch them like fireflies place them in a jar and
watch them shine.

iii.
get ready for the people. get ready to break the dam of your front door
get ready to emerge in the current of civilization, to be knocked around, prepare for the force prepare for the worst. you have to make it through the day just keep with the current don’t let yourself drown come up for air
come up come up come up come up

iv.
stop worrying about the things you cannot control. let your fears wash over
exhale them throw them into the arms of the air in the garbage bin, the sewer.
we are clean people with sewers and showers and trashcans we do not let waste suffocate us we are a city underwater we know how to cleanse to let go to float on.

v.
let your heart be the sun. let it rise. watch it fall. don’t let anyone too
close, warn them about catching fire.

vi.
make amends with the cliff side. tell it you know a thing or two about gravity. tell it you will not allow it to drag you down. tell it the world has a place for you and you refuse to
freefall.