Embodyd Presence - Yaren Erol

Although it is often said that nature heals while the city overwhelms, I believe the city holds a very strong binding force. It creates a communal space for humans, one that is present to all of us equally and continuously, and I want to share this experience because I find it universal. It makes me happy to realize that we all perceive small snippets of the same reality, even in moments of overwhelming change. The depictions in my poem reflect how I experience the city, from confusion and overwhelm to acceptance of its vast complexity, and cycling gives me a space to breathe as I offer my own energy back to the city.