Today I join the prompt of a walking archive poem and the concept of otherness.
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Prompt 19: “Write a poem based on a ‘walking archive.’ What’s that? Well, it’s when you go on a walk and gather up interesting thing – a flower, a strange piece of bark, a rock. This then becomes your ‘walking archive’ – the physical instantiation of your walk.”
Otherness
“The limits of my language
mean the limits of my world,”
said he*.
Now the limits of my world
are the limits of my home.
“Hell is other people,”
said he**.
Now hell is still other people,
even more so.
I was always picking this and that,
a stone, a shell, a leaf.
None in the last two months.
My camera does all the picking.
I touch nothing.
The only otherness
we let into our home
is food and produce,
grown by others,
prepared by others,
packed by others,
eaten by us.
How many people
have touched the apple
before I eat it?
And then I refuse to touch
and carry
even
one
small
snail
shell.
* Ludwig Wittgenstein
** Jean-Paul Sartre
Here are three photos that I took today upon learning of the prompt. The walking archive is from previous years, as displayed all over the house. The first, round stone I carry in the pocket of my coat at all times. In the other coat I carry some shells. One never knows.
I may have taken this photo exactly so as befits the featured photo. 
Local eucalyptus bark, shells from our beach, the heart leaf, a broken marble piece, two stones. 
The remaining two Geese of the Apocalypse. I know, I know. I am the other.
and
In response to Patrick Jennings’ Pic and a Word Challenge #228: Otherness
Manja Mexi Mexcessive (closed) 
Glad to see that you are staying sane by staying creative. Wonderfully written. Hell is definitely other people. Warm hugs from the south 🙂
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Thank you so much, Martina. 🙂 Sane is a matter of perspective. 😉 All well to you down south too.
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‘Sane is a matter of perspective.’ – totally agree with you. Happy spring time! 🌸💕🙂
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Such cool mementos–including the ones you take home only as pictures.😍 I’m sure each one of them comes with a story.
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Thank you, Romana. A story is always at the fingertips. 🙂
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Oh, the geese. Photo of a lifetime.
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Thank you, Lois. Quite expressive, hm? 😀
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Loved that poem.
I don’t know what it is about pebbles, and shelves. I can’t say no to them.
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Thank you, Bojana. And pebbles on the shelves. 😉
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Those geese!
I can’t stop collecting shells. Every trip to the beach, I bring more home. But I wonder if I will get there this year. (K)
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Thank you, K. Oh, sooner or later we will return. The sea is happier and the beach is waiting.
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My goodness, I cannot imagine worrying about fruit. Sigh. Probably how I got sick, ate a poisoned apple.
That goose photo is so adorable! What was he saying? 🙂
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Ooo, poisoned apple! 😮 Didn’t think of this. The goose reminds me of that scene with Donald Sutherland from the Body Snatchers. Remember? The geese are getting more and more accusatory the fewer they are. Thanks, Joey.
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