“Quarantine Diaries,” by David Garyan (Day 45)

Quarantine Diaries – Day 45 April 28th, 2020

Trento, Italy

Duality

In a perfect world, the lock and key would have to be invented— perfection can be no other way. Yet both must be fashioned by people who’ve never met— that is locks for an artist, and keys for a thief; the one should never know what the other had made, and so every door could be closed, yet at the same time stay open. The artist would search for a place—some realm to hide her heart; the thief would dream about how to steal it.

In a perfect world, knives would be sharpened, cared for by sensitive people, and they'd be held without handles; each side would have an edge, causing the hand to bleed— even when it was cutting another. The blade would have two points, but only pierce in one direction. And no matter how shrewd, every spine would always bend, but only towards the ground.

In a perfect world, only agnostics could own ink, and only prophets could make paper. The forest's silence would assure those who doubt. And those far too wise would just want to listen.