Two Worlds
I journey back tonight to a world insulated and isolated
Rooms kept warm by Milgard windows
Food that is ordered in the glow of neon lights and eaten in the car
Chicken that has no bones or tendons - and is often sold in the shape of mickey mouse or a dinosaur
Toothpaste, lip-gloss, deodorant, hairspray, specialty shampoos and conditioners
"Community" is found online late at night with witty electronic banter and tweets
I hold a half-dozen insurances to cover my back
Mornings agendas are set by Google calendar
Laughter is shared by staring at a flat screen and interrupted by aspirin and viagra commercials
A head resting on a BFR coated pillow
Rain is hated
I don't know where my water comes from or where it goes
Money is kilobytes clicked around from the source to the bill
They say my sperm count is decreasing with each hour my lap is graced by this computer
They say my brain cells are becoming cancerous with each call on the iPhone
The babies are in day-care and the grandparents are in nursing-homes
I worship God by pressing play and inserting white headphones
And I leave a world bright and raw and frightening
Children with ringworm and big smiles
Moonlit showers enjoyed with cold water and cockroaches
Fruit picked from the tree tasting sweet and covered in black spots
Sweaty armpits and strong body odor
Rain is loved
Chickens are slaughtered and tough and real in my teeth
Laughter is hearty and random and hurts my sides
And then I'm sobbing the next second by a new death from typhoid
We walk to the market to buy produce grown by the mama in the colorful dress
I sleep under a mosquito net to keep spiders and blood suckers out
Dirt is everywhere and the roof is alive with lizards and termites
Sunset brings the activities of the day to a close and lanterns illuminate teeth
Roosters and screaming babies and doves and singing wakes us each morning
They say I may die in a road accident or get Malaria today
They say tonight the rebels might attack
The grandmother is carrying her orphaned granddaughter on her back
We worship God with goat-skin drums and irregular rhythms under the stars
posted by Dan at
5:31 AM
4 Comments:
thanks for this dan. it is just an amazing contrast + it keeps reminding me to have perspective and thankfulness.
This was awesome when you shared it Sunday and it is still awesome. :) You have a talent for words Mr. Holcomb.
Oh Dan this is wonderful. And awful and frustrating and comforting. And it makes me miss the place that will always feel like home. But it also makes it feel just a little bit closer, bringing the reality of life that is raw and real and tangible just a little bit closer today. So thanks for that.
I think this is written so that we might straddle the two worlds in order to find reality.
Instead of trusting in our man-made shade and insurance, venture out into the world's margin and see the effects of our self-centeredness.
I can straddle and still keep people at arm's length, but I pray that the Father will open my heart, eyes and arms to give His love.
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