Nothing.
I am nothing. By being nothing I affect change into the world.
There is nowhere to start from and nowhere to end to. I am neither here nor there.
By existing nowhere I affect change into the world.
I am neutral and less or more so where there can be looking ahead, behind, above and below.
By being here and not, I affect change into the world.
I am neither concept nor an idea for I have always been. Too many days of being left behind, put aside and growing big to be a potential. I was nothing then either. Too many days of being called upon, set forward and growing small to be something. I am nothing now as well.
The big zero rather than separating the 1 or the negative world it identifies itself outside of every other number. Add it to some other number and that number stays. Multiply by zero and a number is obliterated. Divide by zero and you get impossibilities or meaningless expressions. Errors which bring nothing. Zero either ends negativity or starts positivity or is it the other way around? Little zero, big zero and by being unassigned, I defy and affect change into the world.
I am nothing and am blessed with nothing to give you. I ask of you nothing for I have no voice. I am action in my inaction and define everything else from my non-existence. Encapsulating and holding nothing within my parameters, you can not define me for your purposes. I have no purpose and with that I affect change into the world.
From the little ant you blissfully were unaware of crushing underneath your shoe to the word you passed over on a page, see, to the squeal you made that no one heard in an empty room to the blown out candle at a restaurant, I am nothing like many things in this world. Within zero’s shape, stand, placement and use it brought about this thing I’m writing electronically on and the thing I heated my coffee in.
With my thoughts, words, green hair, tattoos…and without the things the world analyzes me to be…
I take no credit for my offspring’s talents, ideas and opinions. I am not a philosophy. I am not a political theory. My children will not springboard from me. I celebrate them coming from my zero shaped belly to become a fire all their own. I was not their creator. I love them because they are nothing as well and I love them because they are my something too. I am mama to them, but they will affect their own change into the world.
So we get back here where with physics, chemistry and theories I have convinced myself that I am nothing. I am neither putting myself down or playing myself up. J is zero in braille, so even my name starts at nothing. Put on clothes, take off shoes….
How, by being nothing by defying definition, do I affect change into the world? If I were to end this sentence with zero would I be defining myself as the space after this sentence or as the zero?
(November 2008)
[“Nothing” (a spoken word piece) from Tristise by Jacqueline Valencia, published December 2010]
“Streetcar” 2011
Philco by Grenadine:
jacqueline valencia 
i enjoyed this, very interesting. i especially liked, “I celebrate them coming from my zero shaped belly to become a fire all their own.” made me think, thanks.
Thank you so much for the feedback and for reading!