There remains a
narrative distance
between one
and another
that others have called
“relationship.”
This
narrative distance
shows the relative
disconnect
between the tale
we try to tell
for one
and another —
I am an author for yours,
You, an author for mine.
Father to son, son to father
The space between spouses
(long or short)
siblings’ rivalries or shared moments
neighbors that understand
or don’t
The closer the narrative distance,
the better the relational tale…

This works out in third person omniscient
where we talk as if the other
Isn’t there
AND as if we know
the end of their life,
all of their chosen or,
in our case appointed,
paths.
We take the mantle of fate
for one
and another
hoping to predestine two conflicting courses:
One
And
Another.

there are many other narrative distances,
but taste test second person.
Bonhoeffer said,
“Your ideal of community
will destroy
community…”
I have lived out my life
serving hackneyed plots
of those emotionally removed authors
related to me in all the ways
a man relates.
“You do this. You did that. You did what?!”
Fills the space between my singular
You
And their collective
You
Making for a general confusion
of subject matter and
Who are we talking about again?
Their ideals
destroy me
and create narrative distance…

Yes, many lengths of narrative
distance
We create for one and
Another
No time to talk of all twelve,
but the most important.
Bonhoeffer’s quote ends:
“…but if you love one another,
you will create community.”
Skin on skin
happens when an author writes
“I”
and means not he
— the author —
but she — the character —
and walks more than miles in
her shoes or respective lack
thereof.
The author expects no thing
when he thinks the thoughts
she thinks
and loves her,
if even her acts disgust him.
He does not approve,
but gives approval,
and the difference is in the
narrative distance,
a unified “I”
that really means “you”
without ever forcing the
distance.

There are narrative distances
creating one and another
wife to groom
aunt to nephew
father to son

But then there are ones
creating
one another.

Our narrative distance doesn’t need to be erotic
perverse
incestual
Or adulterous
to still be
skin on skin.

Be my I
and I’ll be yours
and together we
walk
communed:
narrated the moment
we narrate.