Holding Poem by Josh Ras

Formality is a colossal gateway made of teeth
A tie-shaped noose
A noose in tie form
It is a flock of invisible filaments
Each stronger than resolve
Finer than skin
It is subtle lead that rests in our shoes
Holds us down in secret
Futilates our every attempt
To swim
To stay afloat
To stay alive
To move forward
To progress.

It is an invisible wall
Between two lonely people
Each more desperate than the other to be heard.

It is cold, faceless, sterile,
As barren as a workshop floor.

Formality opens our jaws,
Reaches into our mouths,
Stops our tongues,
Slides down our throats
Dams our lungs,
Leaves us stiff as a gallows
Silent as a whip, used once
And retired from it’s life of hatred.

It ties us down while leaving us mobile.

It stifles our voices while leaving us vocal.

It numbs our mind while leaving us thoughtful.

As thoughtful as the stranded salmon
Vainly thrashing through the motions that once
Ensured escape, safety.

Thoughtful of one thing,
Mindful of a single goal,
Continuation,
Survival.

Formality is popular.
The life of the party.
A Fine gentleman.

Graceful in manners,
Fearless in the hunt.
Innocent of all atrocities.

Familiar of Authority,
Restraint,
Disapproval,
Normality,
Reality.

The toasts of the town.
Imposing as a marathon
Subtle as the sky
Ever present as the air we breath,
The food we eat,
The earth we work,
Never noticed until gone.

An unnoticed entity
Dictating our lives,
If we let it.
Don’t.

Throw down the gate
Uproot the posts
Burn the locks.
Kick embers into the air.
Breach the wall for after all
The barrier was never there.
Let perception through the ruined doorway
Gaining strength with every step
Freed from incarceration in censored thought.

Bite the hand,
Loose your tongue.
Spit blood into the unseen face.
Dance around the factory floor,
Around the fires of burning gateways,
crumbling perceptions.

Use the flames.
Burn the ties,
Immolate the bonds,
Inflagrate the restraints,
Melt the shackles,
Free you mind,
Emancipate your body,
Live.