“how am i to live after february 26, 2026?” by jenya stashkov
february–april 2026, sheffield, uk, inst
1
a roe deer walked on its hind legs
came up behind me and took my arm
we spoke almost in sync and without discussing it
- i could have let that day pass
the way a car driver lets pedestrians pass
what happened does not define me
nothing of what happened says anything about me
but i cannot accept it on faith
i would like to let that day pass
the roe deer got down on all fours
and forgot me forever
i saw her once somehow
but then i forgot her forever too
but we still spoke one day anyway
- months of not knowing
- the composition of the entire visible and invisible timeline is not knowing
- how do you cope with all this?
- the same way you do
- sadly and routinely realizing that it is too late to react and do anything?
- bingo
it was february when everything became clear
the antlers vanished from the roe deer’s head and began to grow from mine
2
i walked along a crooked garden path
and met some strange giraffes
a giraffe with octopus tentacles said
i know everything
a giraffe with angel wings said
and i know everything too
a giraffe with an elephant’s trunk said
i know everything as well
i replied
yeah i know everything too
but what the fuck is the point?
what does it change?
3
someone woke up in the night with a sore throat
someone made themself some tea
someone is looking out the window
outside the squirrels are running around
outside the pigeons are having sex
outside a cat is shitting on the ground and burying it afterward
i am holding my own hand
between me and me there is an abyss
between me and people there is an abyss
between me and things there is an abyss
between anything and anything there is an abyss
the clouds are motionless
the future is inevitable
irreversible
4
in my chest something burned
my head was humming
i carried my head like a balloon on a string
there was a little hole in my forehead
air was coming out of it
the air came out with this sound
wherever i was before
i would always endlessly map out in my head
the route back home from that point
homes kept changing changing
and that mental urge finally evaporated
and yet i keep turning something over in my head endlessly
but i do not understand what it is
i plugged the air with my finger
the air stopped coming out
but not completely
a tiny stream whispered
you are your own home
why is there no place for you in it?
5
a bird flaps its wings behind my back and says
in this life evil is paid back only to those who are capable of learning something from it
6
the putty knife talks to a piece of peeling wallpaper
putty knife: what if you find out something about your life that turns everything upside down and you won’t be able to recover
piece of peeling wallpaper: i’ll try to recover but if it doesn’t work out then so be it
wet rag: watch out
7
i went out of the house and saw a pigeon sitting on a thyme bush
pigeon: how are your stones?
me: what stones?
pigeon: every living being has special stones inside or does not have some special stones
the presence or absence of a special stones affects your whole life
there is a stone that means you will never disappoint anyone
there is a stone that means no one will ever reject you
there is a stone that means you will always match other peoples ideals and interests without much effort
me: wow
pigeon: these stones were formed before the universe appeared
so you will not be able to do anything about them
me: holy fuck
pigeon: that will be 20 pounds
8
someone dropped someone
the fallen someone lies and looks at the someone who dropped and walks away
lies looks and think:
it astonishes me how wrong my perception of myself is