Catharsis

April 6, 2015  By: Kyle Talbot

Catharsis.

Noun.

A purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension.

For some,

It’s going to church on a Sunday

And shouting along with choir members.

Others,

Sitting on a prebuilt Ikea couch

And talking to someone jotting down their thoughts on a clipboard.

For me,

It’s closer to a catch-22.

Catch-22.

Noun.

A problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule.

1. no work unless you have an agent, no agent unless you’ve worked.

I cannot have catharsis

Without first having stress,

Yet I do not realize that I have overwhelming amounts of stress

Without a cathartic experience.

Catharsis could be a lot of things;

Listening to slow, relaxing electronic

Or listening to fast, raging hardcore.

It could be exploring a fictional wasteland,

Or it could be exploring a nonfictional park.

It varies.

But the feeling,

The indescribable feeling of release,

Remains to be catharsis.

Contributor's Note: Kyle Talbot is a member of the Class of 2018.