Shloka Shankar
ASPALDIKO (N.)
a golden shovel after Emily Dickinson
Have you ever lost yourself? Think carefully. I
have. To my body that always springs back—a buoyancy to I am.
The road to respair is full of holes. It’s time to go out
and decide to leave. Engulfed by waves of it’s not so with
a familiar name for guilt that trots inside. Lanterns
glow brightly on a summer night, looking
for something you could sing but you don’t. For
once, I walk back about a mile, back to myself.
Note: The title refers to the Basque word that describes the euphoria and happiness felt when catching up with someone you haven’t seen in a long time.