finite. small.
‘…everyone should feel small at least once in their lives…’
Is that the prize to be found in the heart
Of the Heartland?
Beyond sight in the endless stretch
Of more than out of reach,
But still less than nothing –
To see, to feel, to be –
Perspective is a gift, right?
bite-size. tiny.
…we are just a speck in the infinite…
Is it only by being little that we can try
to be big?
Powerful beyond measure,
Rest assured, it’s more
A fear than a present.

But here we are. Present.
Surrounded by dull yellows and
fading greens.
A scene to write meaning,
In a notebook devoted
To notes about books.
Written by people larger than life,
Larger than the heartland’s small.

Can Kansas grow creativity as
easily as it grows crops?
I don’t think so.
Although, as I jot this I notice
my small hand fits in the Pringles can
and his large one does not.
Perspective comes to those who seek it out, right?

The smaller you feel, the more humble…
The easier it is to fit, to finesse
through tighter situations without getting
Caught on yourself.
Kansas, am I getting close to wisdom yet
As I venture closer to your border’s edge?
Or am I making shit up?

– Jessie Gutierrez