How to be bananas

in a world that's bonkers

So appealing, isn’t it?

Hey Friends.

Here’s a poem that I want you to consider for your life right now, especially if you are feeling down, grim, and/or blue by the world around you. I’m right next to you, feeling the same way, and I’m ricocheting between being scared out of my mind and saying fuck it, I’m going to go for everything I want right now, no holds barred. This poem is for you, for us, and for everyone we know who is reading the news, who is watching the news, who is making the news, who is absorbing the news, who is broken by the news, who is completely undone at this point. Poetry doesn’t fix everything (or anything?) and I’m not suggesting you go out and live your wildest dreams that hurt anyone else - I’m saying, go bananas and do what you need to do because the days feel shorter and more electric and at any day you can step on that third rail, bad things can happen, and then what? They happened and you didn’t do that open mic? You didn’t call your ex? You didn’t drive to a new city and try those famous croissants? It is time now to try the creative thing you want to try, even if you fail, you hurt, you fall on your face. I’ll be doing it right next to you. (More on that in a moment.) If you need a little more lyrical encouragement, read William Stafford’s wise, encouraging words:

Turn around and do the thing you meant to do but didn’t know how. That’s fine. Still don’t know how to do it. But turn around and try.

Turn around because the world needs more creation than destruction right now.

This is how we battle the overwhelming blues. Describe and design and address the world around you. Marwan Makhoul, the poet, did right here, too. Marwan made something out of the world they live in; you can make something, too.

On Saturday, September 20th, I’m going to do something that’s for me, filled with vulnerability and fear, but also excitement. I’m going to read a poem about parks at a The Great Outdoors celebration at Greystone. I’m terrified of reading in front of strangers, though I’ve practiced and tested the waters a little bit reading at poetry nights at Chevalier’s Books lately, but still, this is a bigger environment. It’s outdoors. It’s GORGEOUS. And anyone in Los Angeles and/or Beverly Hills who is there may see me. That scares me, Friends. But what scares me more is not trying it, because I might…fail. So what? People with much more important jobs than me fail all the time and they don’t care!!!! So, if you’re around, and you want to see me go bananas and do something where I may fail - maybe this will give you impetus to try something, too -, join me at The Great Outdoors at Greystone Mansion.

Be ready, go bananas,

Kayla