Dust Dance (it’ll be ok)

Dust Dance (it’ll be ok)

the mythtery of the Normal People

smiling as a currency

I was born two inches deep in dust

I learnt to walk in it

learnt to lift my feet extra high

and breathe minimally

I thought it was normal

at some point I started noticing people noticing

i was extra quiet coz of the minimal breathing thing

maybe people seemed uncomfortable

and they would laugh sometimes when i walked

some people seemed to like it though

they would seek me out to be in my quiet

without me asking or anything

and seemed happy

there was no dust at school 

so I would sometimes breathe loudly just to see

people smiled at me when they saw it was a choice

they saw i was in control, powerful

like a Normal Person

only I wasn’t really

minimal breathing and excess breathing weren’t equal

excess breathing was an exception

a thrilling, unsustainable departure from the norm

regardless, my confidence grew

I started to like the way I walked

people smiled at me when I smiled when I walked

I lifted my feet high

I was proud of the way I walked

and we had pride in common

I was proud of not conforming and

they were proud of conforming and

together we conformed to the norm of pride

I'm not sure it's finished.