Anthropological Inquiries
by Clara Trippe
The past is a finite resource; we could one day unearth
every year and place them on shelves far away
from their occurrence. We could decide
we have finally learned Where We Come From,
and cease running out into the world with the night sky
reflected on our backs. No more distance between us:
an expanse no light can travel in any sort of reasonable time.
There could be an excavation. There could be eyes closed
and hands guided to all these days buried behind
our ears, calcified on the backs of our legs. Find shelves,
place them as far away from their occurrence as possible.
But the archaeologists are still digging, and today I was sad
to see the rain end even though I for the life of me
can’t tell you why. I want to find you sitting across from me,
but I for the life of me can’t tell you why.
Clara Trippe is a senior English major at Grinnell College. Her work has been published in the Grinnell Underground Magazine, Grinnell Press, and High Gloss Magazine. She grew up in Northern Michigan and currently resides in Iowa.