{"id":1512,"date":"2022-03-04T22:47:27","date_gmt":"2022-03-05T06:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stevegillard.com\/erleichda\/?p=1512"},"modified":"2022-03-04T23:01:14","modified_gmt":"2022-03-05T07:01:14","slug":"the-therapeutic-couch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevegillard.com\/erleichda\/2022\/03\/04\/the-therapeutic-couch\/","title":{"rendered":"The Therapeutic Couch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

The Therapeutic Couch<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am moved
\nto offer you
\nmy unlicensed
\ntherapeutic practice.<\/p>\n

You seem
\nevery bit as
\nanxious as I am,
\nand this
\nsometimes works
\nfor me.<\/p>\n

The only thing
\nyou\u2019ll need is a
\ntherapeutic couch.
\nThe one you sit on
\nto binge watch
\nreruns of Seinfeld or
\nthe Simpsons
\nwill be fine.
\nMaybe use an
\nextra cushion
\nand something
\nto prop your feet on.
\nDim the lights
\na little.<\/p>\n

Now lean back,
\ntry to stay
\nawake.<\/p>\n

Or not.
\nI\u2019m not charging
\nby the hour.<\/p>\n

Imagine
\na curtain descends,
\ndeep blue,
\nembroidered with
\ntwinkling lights
\nstrung
\nin the shape
\nof a midnight
\nstarscape.<\/p>\n

Leave your body
\non the couch
\nand part the curtains.<\/p>\n

As you move
\nthrough them,
\nyou are met by
\nbeings who
\nare made of
\nLight,
\nwho embrace you.<\/p>\n

You realize that
\nbefore this
\nmoment
\nyour ideas about
\nlove
\nhave been
\nwoefully inadequate.<\/p>\n

They remind you
\nthat your Mission,
\nas you chose
\nto accept it,<\/p>\n

when you first
\ncame into
\nyour body
\nfrom behind
\nthe Curtain,<\/p>\n

was to smuggle
\nlarge quantities
\nof that love,
\nin every available
\npocket,
\nwherever your fancy
\ntakes you.<\/p>\n

Now, back through
\nthe curtain and
\nfinish watching
\nHomer or Jerry.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found
\nthis helps me
\nfeel
\na little less
\nanxious.<\/p>\n

(Photo by Kam Idris; UnSplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  The Therapeutic Couch I am moved to offer you my unlicensed therapeutic practice. You seem every bit as anxious as I am, and this sometimes works for me. The only thing you\u2019ll need is a therapeutic couch. The one you sit on to binge watch reruns of Seinfeld or the Simpsons will be fine. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poems"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t