by Maddie Stratten
I have crossed the finish line in most things,
Somewhere past the corner of fascination and boredom.
But you,
You are an endless, streetless existence.
Each time I drift around your corners
There is some new neighborhood
Undiscovered and just as fascinating as the five before it.
I have stumbled upon a universal paradox.
You are not an infinity,
With enumerable ends and beginnings,
Rather you are a never-ending curiosity,
Expansive as the cosmos,
And I pride myself on being curious.
I want to unravel your complexities
Look death and fear and panic in their faces,
Make it known that I am your armor,
If only you will wear me.
I will teach you the art of light feet
Until you can prance around your terrors.
My tactics are feline
But they say curiosity kills the cat.
I wonder,
Will my fate flow true?
Or am I invincible,
A nine-lived being
That wants to map out your scars and your freckles
Like street names.
What if I become your undoing?
Or do I ruin the very nature of you
With labels and titles.
No matter which way I turn,
You have been imprinted on my existential map.
Only time will tell if your coordinates will be well-visited.