Sunday, July 21, 2013

Frustrated Cartography

I have always loved maps.

The consistency of the demarcation on the page occupies me, comforts me, distracts me, just a little, from the variable, topographical revolution within.

The shortest distance between two points eludes me. I scour the creased expanse, the geography of the folds overlaid on various highways, lakes, townships, and points of interest. Somewhere on this page, SOMEWHERE, is the road that will lead me where I want to be, the path to my destiny, the proverbial road to happiness. I gag.

So I unfold this map

Lines lines lines

Creases that never fold back

I want to tear it apart

Crush it into a ball

Smooth it out

Figure out my route

What the fuck is my destination?

I set it down, I stand up, I look upon it, head cocked in consideration of the infinity of intersections. I just want to fold the edges together until the Atlantic and the Pacific touch.

I curse the expanse, shaking my fist in the general direction of the Midwest: “DAMN ALL THIS CORN!!”

I play cartographer in quiet moments alone. I pick up the map and shake it until the Rockies break apart and the Mississippi runs east to west and I fold up my map into a little paper boat and set a course for the thing I fear most.


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