Here of My Own Devices

You’re not quite who we’re looking for
You might be if you changed
That’s not the question we were asking
Perhaps you should try again
Maybe try to stay on task please
The goals are crystal clear
That’s not a topic we can cover
And we can’t afford to care
Well it’s relevant in this way…see? And then over here, since it’s all interconnected. I don’t think it’s a stretch, it’s pretty obvious if you think about it. You breathe in, you breathe out, but it’s all still breathing…do you understand?
Not the person we expected
We’re sorry if that upsets
Your ideas aren’t quite what we enjoy
Please reread all the texts
We think you’re really talented
So please don’t take this wrongly
But we have so many people try
Their work coheres more strongly
“More strongly”? What does that even mean? Does that even make sense? I mean okay, so I’m leaving. Nobody likes a ‘snowflake’ or a ‘diva’, right? Because who knows, maybe I am speaking a different language; I’ve questioned myself on that time and again haha. Ahh… what goes on in here, in me… sometimes I can’t even understand. But can I ask you something…
How do you do it? Can you help me? I don’t think I can keep doing this. I’ve tried. I’ve tried.
I’ve tried.
Outside the autumn winds begin to pick up, rustling leaves across the walkway of the pavilion. His eyes follow a crumpled brown leaf mid-cartwheel as it departs the scene, crosses the grass and tumbles to the base of an old oak. The consistency of roughly veined bark leads up to a withered but grandiose presentation; an evergreen’s extremities crisping into a rare and ancient gold, arms outstretched, conducting a majestic symphony of its harmonious features. Caught within a splayed corner, a torn and tatty plastic bag attempts to mimic the rustle as it jerks and heaves within the breath of the wind. In and out. The surrounding smaller branches appear to bear down on it, to knock against it as if they were beating it, attempting to drive it out.
But on closer inspection the plastic bag is just twisted and tangled up, full of air and bluster and battering itself against the tree, there of its own devices.

