dear reader,
imagine
you and i
as an old poem
and a new piece
—-
cathedral, written 03/21/2025
chicago’s union station has been a constant in my life since getting divorced and leaving new york with a backpack.
i love union station around 9, 9:30pm
this cathedral full of
weary travelers and sleeping unhoused bodies
and last night i was sitting
on a church pew
eyes turned upward
to the curved ceiling
of our cathedral
surrounded by sleeping unhoused bodies
and a man approached
with warm eye contact made
he said hello
and i did the same
he sat down three feet from me
on a church pew
he began removing items from his bag
and quietly,
in consideration of our company,
he asked me if i was traveling
no, i just like it here- you?
and he stuck out his chin
with a nod
his eyes moved slowly upwards
where mine returned
to the lives passed
to the curved ceiling
we sat for a long time
together
watching
our cathedral
surrounded by sleeping unhoused bodies
later that night
walking home to humboldt park
i saw a man frozen in time
right outside richard’s bar on grand almost to milwaukee
(it’s got that cool light outside)
and this frozen man is radiating
the scene:
too wide of a stance and a hunched forward posture
right elbow is highest the hand is holding one handle of a weighted, white tshirt bag
the left arm is lower and in his left hand is one handle of a empty grey t shirt bag
it is whipping around in the wind
a red ember
hangs from his mouth
the scene is frozen
except for one whipping bag
time is standing
i smile at him as i approach
hey- can yo’lp me wi’dis?
course. whater we doin?
i wanna g’disbag in d’odeh’un
suresuresure
i take the empty handle of the weighted higher bag with my right hand
and guide it slowly over to meet the other handle where his hand sits
i take the handle of the empty bag with left hand
and we slowly begin to lower the heavy white bag
down into the empty grey one
slowly
together
and as time begins to
slowly
chip again
i take a large inhale slowly
followed by an even larger
deeper
exhale
slowly
and as time begins
to tick between us,
realization comes-
this whole situation is covered in goo
accumulated
blown around
whipped
and aerated
during the time
this man
who has been frozen in time
considering this task
standing
hunched
breathing
pulsing
dripping
from both nose and
open mouth
and i decide to remain
with this man
in this moment of ours
in this humanity of ours
as we slowly move a white bag
into a grey one
together
he thanks and blesses me
‘same to you sir’
and we move on.
i with 2.3 radiating miles
ahead of washing my hands
eyes turned upwards
to the curved ceiling
of our cathedral
moving within the steady pulse
that quakes within
the streets of chicago, illinois
—-
cathedral, 2025
14×50”
materials include:
fabric ripped by hand, vintage macrame cord, found wooden dowel (19”w)
—-
as creeping dendrites,
quiet as wood,
ps-
i shared a weaving i deconstructed in a post yesterday. notice the curly red ribbon in the fringe of ‘cathedral’- same red recycled sari ribbon that was knotted up in the deconstructed piece, receiving a new place to soften in. deconstruct to reconstruct, dear reader, reap to sow
toolboxEarth 