[Soma]tic Experience (inspired by CA Conrad)

by Debi

INSTRUCTIONS:

I will not brush my hair.  I will not put on make-up.  I will not wear shoes.  I will spend 15 minutes of quiet, uninterrupted time sitting on my living room couch while holding—one at a time—five of my pets (3 cats, 2 bunnies).  Each pet will get 15 minutes alone with me, so this will be about an hour and an half of sitting on the couch with animals.

I will alternate cat/bunny/cat/bunny/cat, and will quietly take notes on my laptop while doing nothing else but appreciating/petting/noticing whichever animal is currently in my lap.  Notes will be whatever random thoughts or observations I have while holding the animal.

I will leave the notes for at least 10 hours, then return to the notes, reread them carefully, see if any ideas take shape, and then compose a poem(s) or prose from any resulting inspiration.

RESULT:

“YOU and ME vs. HE and SHE”

US —

Curious loving relaxed trusting tender sensitive soft beautiful

THEM –

Ferocious cold wild glaring green-eyed impatient jealous demanding dangerous

THEN –

Painful needy vulnerable desperate blue

NOW –

Perceptive protective depth security strong fearless alert

FUTURE –

No fear of the hunter / no longer the hunted

THOUGHTS:

Hm.  Interesting experiment.  The resulting “poem” is weird but actually quite meaningful to me … although I’m certain it makes little (if any sense) to anyone else outside of my head.  It also has nothing whatsoever to do with cats and bunnies. 😉