Smile
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The Poem
Smile
The world is in trouble.Here are your options.
GET HIGH.The astronaut is already going.He calculated that the moonwas the more viable option —RISE ABOVE,says the textin the font of a motivational posterin the breakroomof a companythat is no longer operating.The view from up thereis extraordinaryand completely uselessfor fixingwhat you left.
GO DEEP.The diver is already going.Golden helmet. Full commitment.The ocean has the advantageof pressure —everything at depthsimplified by the weight of it,the darkness,the silenceof a placewhere the noise of the surfacecannot follow.
Between the astronautand the diver,between the moonand the bottom of the sea —the surfer.Me.Riding whatever this iswith the committed absurdityof someonewho looked at both optionsand chose neitherand bothand the wave itself instead —not up, not down,just through,just the boardand the waterand the particular nutty joyof someonewho decidedthe ride was the pointand stayed on it.
Popeyeis at the bottom left.The one with the anchor tattooand the improbable forearmsand the complete lack of interestin anyone’s theoryabout the correct responseto an impossible situation.He flexes.This is his answer.It’s not wrong.
Always at the bottom left
The text covers everything.Lorem ipsumlorem ipsumlorem ipsum —the fine print of a worldrunning on placeholder language,waiting for the real words,filling the spacewith the shape of meaningwhile meaningfigures outwhere it parked.
SMILE.Right in the middleof all of it.Not because everything is fine.Not because GET HIGHand GO DEEParen’t both reasonable responsesto an unreasonable situation.Because the surferis still on the board.Because Popeyestill has the spinach.Because the wave is realand the ride is realand you are realin the middle of it —and thatis worth the smile.
Right in the middle of it
GET HIGH.GO DEEP.Or stay on the boardand smileat all of it —the astronaut going up,the diver going down,the Lorem Ipsumcovering every surfacewith the shape of meaning —and ride it.
Stay on the board.
That’s always been
the whole instruction.