push your fingers
into the barrier
dig deep
until your hands have gone in
up to the wrists
feel your hands
choking
by the thickness of the barrier
push until you can’t push
and then push some more
up to the elbows now
and asked yourself
is this a barrier
is this a wall
or is this the substance of the universe?
perhaps the bubble around you:
perhaps that’s the fantasy
perhaps this is the reality
this barrier
between the bubble and whatever else there is
push deeper
your muscles burn
the pressure on your hands is crushing
you can’t push any further
but you must
get through
the barrier
so push deeper
up to your shoulders
your chest is up against the barrier now
but you can’t pull out
you can’t stop now
perhaps this is just a wall
but perhaps this is the soil
perhaps you have died and you are digging your way
out of your crypt
just as your face presses up against the barrier
your fingertips break free
and you can feel the warmth on the other side
it is not hot
but it is warmer than here
it is not hot
but it is warm
it is not hot
but it is not cold
and something is pulling on your fingertips
you don’t know what
but it’s pulling so you don’t need to push
and you can’t breathe
as your body swims
through the barrier
you can’t breathe
but you know it will be okay
if you can just make it
through
the
barrier
— Clio 04.17.21