Advice by Amy Cotter

I.                   If October is like death then may is like life.

The leaves losing their luster due to the sudden

drop in temperature, and the days losing their light.

Trees becoming weak and losing their strength

as the wind blows through. The clusters of fire

that were hanging on for dear life give way into

the wind dance and fall to the ground only to

hear the crunch underneath the boots.

Earlier today, on my way to work, for the first time

the road was clear. I never noticed that

at the bend in the road beyond the trees is darkness;

the unknown. The trees creating a basic front as if hiding

what goes beyond. Driving by quickly with cars

honking at you to go faster, you would assume

that collaboratively, it is but a bunch of trees.

But today, with only a biker on the road, I noticed

for the first time, an actual space filled in with

the night sky that could either pull me in

with curiosity or push me away with fear.

An area not ventured through, for others only see

the trees and the road.

And this too, following into the unknown

among the trees to stumble upon a clearing. Stones

lined in rows carved into particular shapes of

crosses, rounded off squares and pillars. Weathered

down were some, dark grey like the storm clouds.

But it was the pristine white ones that caught my eye;

brand new in this world, but old in ours.

Once in a dream, through the clear waters were

people frozen in time. Encapsulated by the earth

screaming “we are here!” and yet I was the

only one who saw them. Bubbles constantly escaping their

nostrils, ears, and mouths; their one last sign of life.

New, but their appearances weathered down

by the waves.

II.                I never thought life could be so short. Even at

our ripe, young adult age, we are still children

in the eyes of the earth. Twenty years is only two decades

compared to the 2013 years of life being marked

in our units. These milestones that we will encounter:

graduation, parenthood, getting married

is but us going back to the time of dress up.

Believe me, what happed next is just observation.

When analyzing art, the perspectives are endless.

The human eye taking an image and making

an interpretation of abstraction in order to make sense

of everything around them; a grasp on life.

It is as easy to think of as it is to change; for we

are so vulnerable to input and opinion. We want

our own beliefs and feelings, but we want acceptance

as well.

The worst thing she ever said to me was “go.”

“Go, you are just like him.”

These days I’m like the performer. My own show

being portrayed to many while trying to balance my

performed life and my personal. No matter what, both

need to play off in sync; but one false move on

my end, and the show ends. Mistakes cannot be made on

performing night, and there is no rehearsal to work

them out. I need to go out there;

choreography, lines, tricks and equipment ready on the fly.

A life of improvisation, running at a constant.

Listen, it does not matter where or what you do,

but how open you are.

Once, in October, my walls began to close. My dad,

grabbing his duffel bag and marching to his car;

I ran after him to convince him otherwise but,

even my constant pleading didn’t change his mind

of leaving the life he was given

to one he chose. Slowly, my barriers in life began to form

 preventing me from living life

 the way it was supposed to be.

But it is not October, it is May; a time of life.

The buds taking full bloom

with no barriers in sight; a new beginning.