Instructions for the Afternoon by Gordan Struić

First,

boil some water

and pretend it’s for tea,

though you know

you’ll let it sit too long

and forget.

Then,

take your book

outside,

but keep it closed

on your lap.

It’s more about the idea of reading

than the reading itself.

Watch the neighbor’s dog

chase a leaf

like it’s a gift from the gods.

Notice how

even the cloud

above your house

seems to have nowhere else to be.

By now,

the water is cold,

and so is the tea bag

still in its wrapper.

Good.

You’ve done enough

for one afternoon.

The world keeps spinning

without your help.

Now go back to bed.

Gordan Struić is a poet, writer, and lawyer from Zagreb, Croatia. His work explores silence, memory, and the hidden undercurrents of human experience. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Beyond Words, 34th Parallel Magazine, Stone Poetry Quarterly, Prosetrics Magazine, Voidspace, and #Ranger Magazine. When not writing, he plays guitar and explores the dialogue between poetry and sound.