poem: "effort / lessness" by Marcus Amaker

the emptier i am,

the more clear headed i am,

the more compassionate i am,

the less obsessive i am,

the less tired i am.

the more quiet i am,

the more creative i am,

the less distracted i am,

the less judgmental i am

of myself when life
is so busy & full of itself
that there is no breath
to catch because i feel
like i’m going to balloon
burst into a million acid
raindrops obstructing
my view because
there is no clarity &
my mind is a storm cloud
with thunder in the morning
& fog at night with seven exits
until the nearest gas station
and driving with that
warning light that won’t
go away because
i am so close to being
on empty & i have to
remind myself that
even machines need
to rest, bruh, so be like
the car? yeah, be like the car

empty,

empty.