Photography © Chad Parenteau

 

call it checkpoint or about-face or whatever

a foggy Monday morning. spit
in the form of night butterflies
on the sidewalk. heartburn
behind the ribcage. suddenly
a bus approaches, booming,
glowing, like the elongated
fist of God himself. I think about
taking the hit but keep on walking straight,
sensing that I have been
in this exact situation before — even though
the outcome was a little bit different.

whenever I experience
a déjà vu like this
I imagine
that a past version of myself
had the guts to do it,
carved this last moment
into our collective
memory.

and strangely it’s these kind of
mind games
that can help one
continue
through an all-too familiar
hellscape — waiting for one’s very own
chance to make history.

 

Tobias Seim is some guy who was born and raised in Germany. He quit school, learned nothing, and now spends his time reading and writing. At least occasionally. He is the author of to hunt down dreams like rabid wolves.

Chad Parenteau is Associate Editor of Oddball Magazine.