Phobia is supposed
to be an unnatural fear,
but when your heart
is racing because there's
a spider in your shoe,
or your knees are knocking
on a mountain overlook,
or you're hyperventilating
in the middle of a crowd,
there's not a whit of difference
between organic and GMO.
The tension can be exhausting,
leaving you a candidate
for a long nap in a safe place.
What happens when
our fear is more relational?
Spiders, heights, and crowds
may not affect us by their
absence
and our avoidance,
though many a flattened spider
may strenuously object;
but what toll do our
interpersonal anxieties exact on
us,
both individually and
collectively?
When the shape or skin tone
or religion or some other basic,
fundamental characteristic
of a person causes us
to recoil in panic, what harm
is done to our psyche, and
what cloud is cast over our
culture?
© 2015 Todd Jenkins
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