Poem: "Unexpected Circumstances and Unseen Dangers"
This poem is spillover from the August 6, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from Dreamwidth user Chanter1944">. It also fills the "unseen" square in my 8-1-24 card for the Discworld Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with Dreamwidth user Fuzzyred. It belongs to An Army of One series.
"Unexpected Circumstances and Unseen Dangers"
In every habitat of the Lacuna,
there were certain locations
where it wasn't safe to go.
For most people, this didn't
pose a problem; they could
read signs and maps and
stay out of trouble zones.
However, some hazards
weren't as obvious and
some people weren't as
good at avoiding risks.
There were also a variety
of unexpected circumstances
and unseen dangers to face.
You never knew when a bit of
space debris might puncture
a habitat, or some piece of
equipment might malfunction.
You couldn't see or feel
radiation, and some of
the hazardous chemicals
were similarly obscure.
Darmid urged folks to help
make hazard maps for all of
the habitats in the Lacuna.
He worked on the team who
designed warning signs that
would tell people of dangers.
He made sure the words were
easy to read and the symbols
were clear, cut into each sign
so you could trace the lines
with your fingers if necessary.
Then he set to figuring out how
to teach the children about them.
Some of the older ones could
already read and write fluently,
and could just follow the signs.
The younger ones needed
more coaching, though, and
some had their own challenges.
Chayla and Layken were fretts,
with a condition caused by
early exposure to the kinds
of corrosive chemicals
used in cheap stardrives.
That caused various types
of executive dysfunctions
and physical challenges.
Chayla had difficulties
understanding and
sequencing time.
So Darmid cut out
shapes and carved
words on them and
drilled holes so that
they could be strung
onto a flexible cord.
One end had an arrow
to show the start, then
you strung the shapes
in order and tied a knot
to secure the end of it.
"Now you can follow
these instructions one
at a time," Darmid said,
showing Chayla the cord.
"How?" Chayla asked,
turning it in her hands.
"Start with the arrow,"
said Darmid. "As you
complete a step, then
push its shape toward
the arrow and move on
to the next step in the row."
"You won't tell me the steps?"
Chayla said, her lip wobbling.
"I'll tell you the steps, just to get
you started," said Darmid. "Now
that you have this tool, you can
learn to do them by yourself."
He led her through the process
of stopping at a door and looking
for a sign about what was behind it.
"I can do it!" Chayla crowed.
Her foster brother Layken
had difficulties with gauging
and moving through space.
He understood the idea
of putting his feet onto
the painted footprints
in front of airlocks, but
had a hard time actually
getting them into place.
For him, Darmid built
a set of handlebars
around practice prints,
along with models that
could be set up to show
a room or a corridor.
"See, now you can
practice using prints,"
said Darmid. "You'll
get the hang of it, you
just need more time."
With the handlebars
for direction, Layken
managed to get into
the correct position.
"Look! My feet fit!"
he said, grinning.
"I knew you could
do it," said Darmid.
Razo had a quirk of
chromosomes that
made it harder for
him to learn things.
Darmid showed him
how to use a computer
to make recordings, so
that Razo could listen to
instructions over and over
or watch himself doing
something the right way.
"Now you can listen and
watch as often as you
want to," Darmid said.
"That's me, opening
a door," Razo said,
pointing at the screen.
"Exactly right," Darmid said
as he gave the boy a hug.
"We can learn to do things,
even though we don't have
parents," Chayla declared.
"Of course you can,"
said Darmid. "Not
everyone has parents,
and that's okay. There
are other adults to stand in."
"Like guardians," said Layken,
and Razo added, "I have guardians.
"Guardians may be the most popular kind,
probably because we know how fragile
life can be, especially here," said Darmid.
"Space is dangerous," Chayla said.
"It's always out there, waiting."
"Exactly," said Darmid. "We
desperately need protection from
unexpected circumstances and
unseen dangers. Just the thought
of good people hovering around us
gives people a feeling of safety."
"You'll protect us," Layken said,
throwing his arms around Darmid.
"Yes," the teacher said. "I certainly will."
* * *
Notes:
"Guardian angels are perhaps the most popular kind, probably because we all know how fragile life can be. We desperately need protection from unexpected circumstances and unseen dangers. Just the thought of good angels hovering around us gives people a feeling of safety!"
-- Gary Kinnaman
"Unexpected Circumstances and Unseen Dangers"
In every habitat of the Lacuna,
there were certain locations
where it wasn't safe to go.
For most people, this didn't
pose a problem; they could
read signs and maps and
stay out of trouble zones.
However, some hazards
weren't as obvious and
some people weren't as
good at avoiding risks.
There were also a variety
of unexpected circumstances
and unseen dangers to face.
You never knew when a bit of
space debris might puncture
a habitat, or some piece of
equipment might malfunction.
You couldn't see or feel
radiation, and some of
the hazardous chemicals
were similarly obscure.
Darmid urged folks to help
make hazard maps for all of
the habitats in the Lacuna.
He worked on the team who
designed warning signs that
would tell people of dangers.
He made sure the words were
easy to read and the symbols
were clear, cut into each sign
so you could trace the lines
with your fingers if necessary.
Then he set to figuring out how
to teach the children about them.
Some of the older ones could
already read and write fluently,
and could just follow the signs.
The younger ones needed
more coaching, though, and
some had their own challenges.
Chayla and Layken were fretts,
with a condition caused by
early exposure to the kinds
of corrosive chemicals
used in cheap stardrives.
That caused various types
of executive dysfunctions
and physical challenges.
Chayla had difficulties
understanding and
sequencing time.
So Darmid cut out
shapes and carved
words on them and
drilled holes so that
they could be strung
onto a flexible cord.
One end had an arrow
to show the start, then
you strung the shapes
in order and tied a knot
to secure the end of it.
"Now you can follow
these instructions one
at a time," Darmid said,
showing Chayla the cord.
"How?" Chayla asked,
turning it in her hands.
"Start with the arrow,"
said Darmid. "As you
complete a step, then
push its shape toward
the arrow and move on
to the next step in the row."
"You won't tell me the steps?"
Chayla said, her lip wobbling.
"I'll tell you the steps, just to get
you started," said Darmid. "Now
that you have this tool, you can
learn to do them by yourself."
He led her through the process
of stopping at a door and looking
for a sign about what was behind it.
"I can do it!" Chayla crowed.
Her foster brother Layken
had difficulties with gauging
and moving through space.
He understood the idea
of putting his feet onto
the painted footprints
in front of airlocks, but
had a hard time actually
getting them into place.
For him, Darmid built
a set of handlebars
around practice prints,
along with models that
could be set up to show
a room or a corridor.
"See, now you can
practice using prints,"
said Darmid. "You'll
get the hang of it, you
just need more time."
With the handlebars
for direction, Layken
managed to get into
the correct position.
"Look! My feet fit!"
he said, grinning.
"I knew you could
do it," said Darmid.
Razo had a quirk of
chromosomes that
made it harder for
him to learn things.
Darmid showed him
how to use a computer
to make recordings, so
that Razo could listen to
instructions over and over
or watch himself doing
something the right way.
"Now you can listen and
watch as often as you
want to," Darmid said.
"That's me, opening
a door," Razo said,
pointing at the screen.
"Exactly right," Darmid said
as he gave the boy a hug.
"We can learn to do things,
even though we don't have
parents," Chayla declared.
"Of course you can,"
said Darmid. "Not
everyone has parents,
and that's okay. There
are other adults to stand in."
"Like guardians," said Layken,
and Razo added, "I have guardians.
"Guardians may be the most popular kind,
probably because we know how fragile
life can be, especially here," said Darmid.
"Space is dangerous," Chayla said.
"It's always out there, waiting."
"Exactly," said Darmid. "We
desperately need protection from
unexpected circumstances and
unseen dangers. Just the thought
of good people hovering around us
gives people a feeling of safety."
"You'll protect us," Layken said,
throwing his arms around Darmid.
"Yes," the teacher said. "I certainly will."
* * *
Notes:
"Guardian angels are perhaps the most popular kind, probably because we all know how fragile life can be. We desperately need protection from unexpected circumstances and unseen dangers. Just the thought of good angels hovering around us gives people a feeling of safety!"
-- Gary Kinnaman