Hello, Hello? It’s Life!

Ekaterina Rybakova

Hello, hello?

The ocean called.

The waves like dials on a phone,

Bright pearls, hidden deep below,

Sitting on one throne.

Hello, hello?

The doctor called.

The pills are coming this afternoon,

Please pay at your earliest convenience,

You are long overdue.

Hello, hello?

The houseplant called.

The roots, like ancient anchors.

His hunger unabating, abandoned all alone,

He shall attain reprieve.

Hello, hello?

The bus called.

The promise of a lasting journey,

But the arrival time was long delayed.

Please wait a minute longer.

Hello, hello?

The groceries called

The receipts grow like weeds,

A cart full of the most delicious treats,

Yet a potato has turned moldy.

Hello, hello! I’ve missed you.

I’ve missed you too.

Yet from my heart, I have to say goodbye.

Oh, how I’ll miss you.

Hello, I am Katie Rybakova and I am a junior pursuing a Biochemistry and English major, as well as a Computer Science minor at the University of Washington. When I write I often blend my interests and perspectives on science as well as the literary world. I adore literature that blends philosophy, religion and technological advancements, as well as stories that view our world through a microscopic lens. I interpreted collisions in a more metaphorical way for this series of works.

In “Hello Hello? It’s life!” I explored the concept of colliding with life itself and its various events and hurdles. It follows the philosophical statement, “be thankful for your troubles, you may never have them again” perspective. Life continuously greets the living, yet after a particular event, or collision, one must say goodbye to said event and move on to the next. In this poem I focused on the appreciation for said experiences, embracing all that they are.