.16) Moving In Poem by Max Reif

When I first moved
to this neighborhood,
Life came abruptly
to my bed every morning
and pulled me into its river.

I had to wake up
to find my way—
the map of before
was no longer of use.

Homes, sky, vegetation,
people and cars
whirled around me,
a wild kaleidoscope.
I never walked past
the same place twice.

The neighborhood
began to solidify
after I'd lived here
a couple of months.

The kaleidoscope congealed.
I became a spider in a web,
having spun my mental grid
around the world.

I’d memorized my life!
I began to cross
the same intersection
every day, instead of
being surprised
by unexpected streams
of asphalt rising
suddenly before me.

Now I find
myself thinking,
'I need to get away.'