How did we become a virus? Bees are dying. The earth’s temperature is rising. Threat of nuclear warfare. Overpopulation. It feels like everything will be gone soon. It’s felt like this before — surely it has. Surely our generation isn’t the first to notice the virulence our presence bestows. Still, this time it seems exceptional. Different. Hopeless. What is there to do? Gather your things. A favorite blue dress. A white bag. Walk — stand at the edge of a nearby lake. Look out. Your favorite view. Gray, windy. Kneel down. Gazing into the water, you notice movement. Leeches? Big ones. Plunge your hand into the icy water, handle them with frightened delicacy. Place them in your bag. They’re cold, slimy, and for some reason they don’t fight. Something tells you they too have given up. As you stand, the urge to sing wells inside you like fire. A cry for mercy, an orchestra of desperation.
Stream the video for ANOHNI’s “Hopelessness” above (the title track from her recent album), directed by New York Filmmaker Alex Carver.