“Quarantine Diaries,” by David Garyan (Day 33)

Quarantine Diaries – Day 33 April 16th, 2020

Trento, Italy

To Go On

When there’s wine but no more drunkenness, the world looks dimmer than a black bridge at noon. Have you ever seen one? Like snow leopards, their surroundings hide them. So, drink and clear your vision— be a raven that has nothing to cross except the night sky, for the morning is no better than grinding charcoal to dust— no better than feeding flames in the sun. It’s easy to mix fire with water but even the earth can’t reconcile them. Rivers and dams might meet and shake hands but never be friends; winds sway the sands but can’t guide a desert. The finest liquor never instructs or gives directions; it’s a good doctor who wants to befriend you— without being your doctor. Go on. Let every secret jump from your body, but keep yourself on the ledge; let all concerns drown within you but don’t cascade after them— the ground isn’t deep enough to forget any sins; the lake isn’t shallow enough to reveal what it hides. Let yourself fall from the sky, always knowing that courage is nothing more than a raven willing to land in the snow.