Hidey Holes

First, turn off that infernal phone.

Bleep, bloop, bleep-blop, off.

Delete your social media.

Or mute it. You don’t need it for a while.

Right now, the world is a mess.

It, as they used to say, “do to sucketh mightily.”

Some evil doesn’t change,

It just pulls back like a tsunami

And returns full force to wipe out the unwary.

For a time, you can hide.

A book, a walk in a safe place,

A vacation, a day trip.

What is your comfort level?

A hike, where you can be a tree?

A walk, where you can be a friendly breeze?

A pool, where you can float free?

An ocean, where you can dump your stress?

A forest, where you can scream your rage?

(The trees don’t mind.

But the birds might.

They’ll be okay.)

Or, maybe, a bike ride, where you can sweat out your stress?

A gym, where you can take it out on the punching bag?

A tennis court, bashing that ball into submission?

Or just kicking a rock, or a brick wall?

(Don’t worry, you won’t hurt the wall.

But beware your toes. Steel-toed boots are recommended.)

No funds?

Re-read a book, get cozy with that old friend.

Or put water in a plastic tub, and dip your feet in.

It’s not the same,

But it’s better than no escape.

Close your eyes, feel the breeze,

Even if it’s just an electric fan.

Find good vibrations, drift away,

Listen to the music.

It can’t be forever, more’s the pity,

But a respite

In between tsunami waves

Is your chance

To catch one breath,

Another,

Hoard them,

Keep them safe,

Because the waves will return

And batter everything they can.

When the flood sweeps all the broken bits away,

We can emerge from our hidey-holes

And fortresses built by imagination

And strength of will

And build the world

We’ve glimpsed in our daydreams.