"He encapsulated his teachings in a single law: suffering arrives from craving; the only way to be fully liberated from suffering is to be fully liberated from craving; and the only way to be fully liberated from craving is to train the mind to experience reality as it is."
-Yuval Noah Harari, "Sapiens"
it came about
in a swift wave of icy chills
that melted into a heavy sweat
veins turned to vines strapping me down
slowly immobilizing my every move
every thought turned solution
until paralysis reigned supreme
my big thumbs turned arthritic
my feet became clubs
unbalanced and slurred speech
hot words became abandoned ice cream
left for the carrion
to indulge in summer delights
the urge was a craving:
to depart from reality;
a small insulated bubble
to protect and serve the few still around
but the craving became obsessive:
to widen the bubble
despite the obvious outcome—
resurrecting a graveyard of telephone poles
with no electricity left
this place used to feel like a mansion
now it feels
like an echo
just an echo
an echo