deconstruction for the doomed

Poems and Other Programmes

deconstruction for the doomed

if you have heard this word,
and you did not run screaming,
but stopped to listen,
this will be a helpful guide

there are precisely four things
you need to know

one: deconstruction is not destruction
if you want to blow the whole thing up
and walk away from the flames
like an action hero striding
into a sunset with no more Sundays

god bless you, do that
this is not the poem for you

two: deconstruction is love
for some reason
even though you probably should have
you didn’t just blow the whole thing up
and walk away in slow motion

ask
yourself
why?

it doesn’t matter how ugly the reason
deconstruction begins
when you love why you are still here

just a paycheck? love it
honor a legacy? love it
feeling lost? love it
Love love love

three: deconstruction is reading between the lines
or listening as the lines read the spaces out to you

once you see the context
the subtext
the texture of the paper,
the color of the ink,
what you had for breakfast
and who didn’t get breakfast this morning

you will find angels,
    singing the song someone once heard
as they wrote that text
you’ll find the dead,
    ghosts haunting the words
you’ll find demons,
    telling you that if this is where the song leads
    you should probably blow it up

so gather up your angels, ghosts, demons
you are ready for 

four: deconstruction …

oops: four i forgot, 
probably should have lead with this
the first rule of deconstruction club
you don’t talk about deconstruction club

love is knowing
unless someone feels the ghosts and hears the angels
they will probably, see you as a demon

NOW you are ready for

five: deconstruction is a mad tea party
you and the ghosts
and the demons
and the angels

seated around a table talking
trading seats,
til you are no longer certain
which of you is which

six: deconstructed
how do you know
when you are done deconstructing
and it is time to reconstruct?

deconstruction is the secret speakeasy behind the hidden door
the flash mob on the roof
the protest on the front steps
the game of hide and seek in the hallways

all this
on, inside, and around
a structure that still stands


seven: deconstruction 

fuck it
just blow it up