The Walrus

Epistemolo­gy

- by Shane Neilson

Why does it hurt when emotion spills out of a body?

How does emotion spell body? What does it mean to be good? Why is the surplus of beauty everywhere? What is the password? Is there always another way? What is the real word for real?

Is there room for one more? Is it meant to be? What is the subject to time? Why are the painful questions four words long or fewer? Why steel, steel, steel? Where is the path? What is a story?

How much more loss? Is this the end? Who are the dead?

Is there a reason? Is it safe? What remains? How come?

What about me? Am I good? Where can I hide? Am I allowed? Am I all in one piece? Am I alive? What’s in it for me? Where can I trade less for more? Am I being objective here? Do I have to accept this? What does my father’s face mean? Can Iescape? Can I take it with me when I go? Can I wake up now? Can I see change when it is coming or only when nothing is the same? What is my role in this disaster? Did I do the right thing?

Did I mean to? Am I right or wrong? Did I choose that? Am Iresponsib­le? What do I know? All my life: What do I know?

When I say need, what do you hear? Can you hear me?

Do you have a secret? Are you talking to me? I know you are, but what am I? Will you miss me? If I told you, would you believe me? Can I ask you a question? Will you take care of me?

If I needed you, would you come? Can I help you? Why do you hate me so much? How can I make it better? What can I get for you?

Can you show me? Why do you talk about me that way? Will you hurt me and go on hurting me? Can I count on you? Will you let me go? Do you believe in me? When will you give me what I want?

Where do you hide? Will you wait? Where will you go? Why did you fuse the words pain and love? Were you born in a field or sui generis? How do you see yourself? Do you even have a plan? How do you get out of bed in the morning? Did you think for just one second?

Are you high? What is your problem? Are you sure? Do you care? What do you care? Why am I asking? Are you serious? How bad do you want it? Are you all in? Are you protecting yourself? Are you insane? Are you both the rhyme and reason? Are you both terrible act and the turning season?

Who is included in we? Do we belong here? Are we there yet?

Can we stop now? Do we look at the sky hoping for deliveranc­e? Can we heal in story? Where did everyone go? Why must we fail? Why are we afraid? Do we prefer strength? Can we be serious for a second? How did we get here? Can we work this out together? Were we meant to be together? Can we split the difference? Should we? Do we have common ground or would we in another year, another season? Yes. Another season. Are we in agreement? Is there anything else we can argue about?

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