Pretend in a very real way that you have just been dropped into your life
from another realm
like one of those science fiction movies
where the protagonist
is time traveling or beaming into different places and times,
sometimes appearing
without clothing or a dime to his name,
only now, you are beaming yourself, like a lab rat
dropped into a maze,
into your own life,
with all its glorious conundrums and astounding beauty
that you can now see with an interloper’s eyes.
Pretend you don’t know any of your problems,
and you are learning everything anew.
Stumble through your first day
as if there are no patterns to uphold.
Meet everyone a stranger with a clean slate of interest.
Ask GPS the way to work, to home and to the park.
Wander into your obligations like a tourist.
Tour your neighborhood.
Go to the movies alone in the day.
Ask your partner to sit with you for tea.
When you read the leaves on the bottom and side of her cup,
tell her of this stranger, you, who has entered her life
and let her know you are not who she thought you were.
Close your eyes while the chocolate melts on your tongue
and travels down your throat,
enjoy the new land of your life
your body, a new suit,
and your life uncharted now
by your old, conditioned mind.
