VCC Summer 2017

A Compressed World from page 19

Nexus A boy stands in the middle of a road, the land flat in all directions. “What to do?” “Where to go?” he thinks, as a gentle wind blows, the sunlight yellow and warm.

Does he wait for Godot? Does he wait for Sam Shepherd? Does he wait for AugustWilson? Does he let his mind go blank? Does he use his imagination

to create a world that will take him enticing places?

He stands and waits. Angel A girl

lived in a house across the road. She was ignored through school, nerdish.

While home from college in Sunday School, she shared a sacrifice she had made, and the teacher said, “That was wonderful, and that was what you should have done!” The girl repeated the story over and over again for the next hour, clearly hoping to get the same praise and attention she had just received. And we think we are hurting, not getting what we deserve or want. Crumbling I still want to get up and move and do what I have always done, but the seasons, the weather,

“Arthur,” and degenerating bones keep me from doing so with ease.

On a more profound level, I was recently in a book store reading and found a poem by Stephen Dunn in issue Number 219 of The Paris Review that said succinctly in just shy of 200 words more than anything I have heard from the talking heads on the various political commentary shows in the last six months. I can’t share the whole poem, but I will share a small portion that reveals what Dunn claims is the challenge of recording history at this moment in time, because the imperfections of memory

As I struggle with this part of my life, I must say, in so many ways it is the best—no major responsibilities to worry about—and

the worst—no drive or energy to plot new maps and trajectories on life’s speedy itinerary.

would combine with the slipperiness of documentation to produce versions only people who need not be persuaded could agree with.

Contradictions abound, as my bones rub, lock, and crumble into the future.

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S ummer 2017

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