The Ninth of August

Linda Maestra! "Pretty Teacher!"
Francisco Goya, circa 1819-23

The Ninth of August

Having a smoke outside,
It lightens tonight in
Ohio, in a rainless
Cloudsky. This puts one in
Mind of Goya's witches,
Flying correctly, naked, with the
Business end of the broom
Forward, nothing like Margaret
Hamilton. By the pricking of
My thumbs, indeed. I'll
Show you something wicked.
It comes like the Trinity, ice-
Cold, one for each
Orifice, and Goya's ever-bored
Face of the Devil.

L. Steve Schmersal, The Ninth of August, August 2016

Aquelarre, "Witches' Sabbath,"
Francisco Goya, 1798

My Problem

Hi. I wanted to explore some of my problems. This won't take up much of your time, but that is my problem.


My Problem


My problem isn't you, my problem is me.


I want you to listen for more then thirty seconds or 250 characters. That's MY problem.


My problem is that I want you to not get bored when it's not about you.


My problem is that I want you to enjoy nuance, difference, difficulty, and long sentences, inclusive of commas and semicolons.


My problem is that you fear the unfamiliar.


MY problem is that you neither know what you want nor have ever explored why you want it.


I don't care why you're overwhelmed by your job, my problem is that you are overwhelmed by the fact that you're overwhelmed by your job, don't have the tools to talk about it, and pretend that you are not and that you do.


My problem is that you are so afraid of the truth about your life that you cling to demonstrably absurd "truths" about your life that hurt and destroy others, daily, rather than consider any alternative.


These are my problems.


What are your problems?