"At first, day one" was recorded by Ibada Wadud at home in Far Rockaway, New York and by Satu Herrala at home in Helsinki, Finland. Asiya Wadud read the piece to both Ibada and Satu and they recorded their end of the phone conversation.

Video by Yoshiko Chuma. Edited by Ginger Dolden.

At first, day one

take the table
take the book

take the cup

XXXXXthe object, animated
XXXXXthe object, mute

don’t drop it
don’t drop it
XXXXXbe it cylindrical
XXXXXoblong
XXXXXin a hurry
XXXXXquiet

place it
XXXnext to your body
and then
notice every
XXXXXXXXbody in the space
XXXXXXXXevery
XXXXXXXXXXXbody’s itinerant object and
XXXXXXXXXXXownership, may always be tenuous

XXXXXXXXtrain your silence to fill the space
XXXXXXXXyour even breathing, switchback
XXXXXXXXif your eyes and your tongue will let you

move with them and
XXXXXXXXand
XXXXXXXXand in them,
then move with them and
move the table
XXXXXby fortitude, forfeiture or by carrying it
think of it as one large plane— made manifest
in which anything can become
XXXXXwhatever
set the glass there and it leaves its daylong water-ring.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXhalo.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXO.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXmarking.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXobject.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXobscene what it needs to leave.

XXXXX
but
don’t drop it
don’t drop it
XXXXXmute magic
XXXXXfissured moment
XXXXXtangle island

I need the clock to ferry the hour
the cloaked minutes become
their own resolute tables
XXXXXsliding everything against or at each other

XXXXX
know your body
know the distance
what have you

the bric-brac

whatever

before
everything
continues, slides nearly collapses
XXXXXXXXthis is day one
XXXXXXXXor this is day one
XXXXXXXXand this is day one.

XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
I am willing to
use my feet

I am willing to try for
XXXXXextension
ask for it— now extend

XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
now take the object
take your two hands
take the book

don’t drop it

use your eyes
triangulate the movement, fine focus
fixed futures

use your hands
if you are able

take the cup
XXXXXor
XXXXXbook
XXXXXXXXor

backpack
container
horizontal arrangement
flagrant
XXXXXbouquet
take it
take it all and then

XXXXXXXXplace it at the center of our table

XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
we know your name, our eyes said
we know your name, our mouths said
we know your name, our eyes said

XXXXX
XXXXX
in aggregate we say your name

XXXXXXXXXXXassume your goodness
XXXXXXXXXXXassume your goodness
XXXXXXXXXXXassume your goodness

XXXXXXXXXXX
our feet bear the burden
in the atrium
as we approach the table
and again as we disperse
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX *
XXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
in our lives we can notice a breath,
XXXXXthen breathing