lines can haunt you

2006-05-19

L'Inconnue de la Seine

I learned Emergency First Aid on Monday. It was a hot, hot day in the lower mainland, and we sweated like swine in the stuffy airless building. It was fine; it was awful. I didn't like the armless/legless CPR dolls. I didn't fancy how they were stuffed into a cabinet like a ghastly stockpile of mothballed cyborgs.

We had to practice AR and CPR on them for what seemed like ages. After some time, I fell into a somnambulistic rhythm, and-one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-breathe, Annie, breathe and-six-and...a trance, almost, it became, the compressions and the breaths, first staring into the lifeless face and then watching the chest rise and fall, and the counting and the whole surreal scene.

After a short bathroom break, I walked back into an empty room but for the horrid dolls laying this way and that all over the horribly hard, grey carpeted floor. A strange juxtaposition of horrific accident and unaccountably ordered scene; no blood, no screaming, just bodies, and lots of them. Like a messy dream perhaps, a dichotomy composed of the easy, everyday familiarity of routine and the absurd, nightmarish unfolding of events. Zipper down, business, zipper up, water, soap, dry, careful with the door, walk down hall, open door, enter mostly featureless room, see bodies everywhere, sit down at desk, remain calm. It was awkward. I wrote this haiku:

Torsos strewn about
Save as many as you can
All have the same name

Later, I bustle about the city, trying to keep tutoring clients happy as hours disappear and my week tightens. Frisbee happens, and my body suffers a series of small defeats - aching ribs, strained neck muscles and too tight calves are all the latest ignominies of being. Tiger balm helps. The days pass quickly, and suddenly it is Friday, today, and I feel as if I have an unlimited amount of time - four days in fact - in which I have nothing of any real importance scheduled, work-wise at least, and that is an oasis from which I will eagerly sup, a smorgasbord of free time. Goodbye, structured world, goodbye.


Navigation previous entry next entry latest entry archives profile notes e-mail How lines can haunt you... Recent Forays 2009-03-10: The names 2008-05-21: in medias res 2007-11-14: The things I meant to write about: 2007-07-29: More than meets the eye 2007-04-13: Where the words have gone. Links Abroad in medias res Modern Drunkard Ftrain The Onion Exploding Dog McSweeney's Internet Tendency The National Pist Higher Blogs Palinode's Palace Schmutzie Friday Films Luvabeans Sprigs Fairlywell Dirty Laundry Boombasticat f-i-n jonquill Stray Sparrow Swordfern Pablo Ashahands Erasing		2006-05-19 L'Inconnue de la Seine I learned Emergency First Aid on Monday. It was a hot, hot day in the lower mainland, and we sweated like swine in the stuffy airless building. It was fine; it was awful. I didn't like the armless/legless CPR dolls. I didn't fancy how they were stuffed into a cabinet like a ghastly stockpile of mothballed cyborgs. We had to practice AR and CPR on them for what seemed like ages. After some time, I fell into a somnambulistic rhythm, and-one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-breathe, Annie, breathe and-six-and...a trance, almost, it became, the compressions and the breaths, first staring into the lifeless face and then watching the chest rise and fall, and the counting and the whole surreal scene. After a short bathroom break, I walked back into an empty room but for the horrid dolls laying this way and that all over the horribly hard, grey carpeted floor. A strange juxtaposition of horrific accident and unaccountably ordered scene; no blood, no screaming, just bodies, and lots of them. Like a messy dream perhaps, a dichotomy composed of the easy, everyday familiarity of routine and the absurd, nightmarish unfolding of events. Zipper down, business, zipper up, water, soap, dry, careful with the door, walk down hall, open door, enter mostly featureless room, see bodies everywhere, sit down at desk, remain calm. It was awkward. I wrote this haiku: Torsos strewn about Save as many as you can All have the same name Later, I bustle about the city, trying to keep tutoring clients happy as hours disappear and my week tightens. Frisbee happens, and my body suffers a series of small defeats - aching ribs, strained neck muscles and too tight calves are all the latest ignominies of being. Tiger balm helps. The days pass quickly, and suddenly it is Friday, today, and I feel as if I have an unlimited amount of time - four days in fact - in which I have nothing of any real importance scheduled, work-wise at least, and that is an oasis from which I will eagerly sup, a smorgasbord of free time. Goodbye, structured world, goodbye. Tell me when this blog is updated email: