Perhaps

I thought I heard

an invitation

where none existed,

to I imagine I might

disappear

for a moment,

an almost-man

in an order

defined at birth,

pretending

to construct a place

in a land

where I held no roots,

no grounding

or understanding

of the forces

driving the wheels

that turn, spin and weave

out of darkness

the light that guides you

as you ride

against the wind

for good or ill

but,

even then,

sometimes I think

I catch a glimpse

of the world that built you

from the ankles up:

the playing fields

and running games,

impossible white pants

and vested uniforms,

the grit, grins and grimaces

of boys wandering

arm around shoulder

through dusty streets,

conspiring to dream

a dream

I almost fell for.

…
Joseph Schreiber is a writer based in Calgary, Canada. He is criticism/nonfiction editor at 3:AM Magazine,