tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602469892403524092024-03-13T02:45:24.004-07:00That's No Way to Make Friends.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.comBlogger484125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-22698143177149992972019-05-27T17:40:00.002-07:002019-05-27T17:40:58.946-07:00Memorial Day, 2019<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-19ed79c2-7fff-3174-7f14-8848024821a9" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hottest memorial day on record,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">okay, so I’m making that up, but could</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">still be true. The Marine who never</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really talks about it sits at the bar</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he makes jokes at and posts</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a poem on insta; it’s how I know</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he’s there, I’m not there. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Grandfather and Uncle and several</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cousins have all carried guns for</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">America and lost or seen things I</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">never want to, at least, I assume.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a lot of not talking about it,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but if the things that they’ve seen</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are like the bodies in the documentaries</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d bury myself in science fiction</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and whiskey, or never want either</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ever again.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hottest memorial day week to date, well</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">probably not, but I wonder if I ever</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have a child, will they be sent to the same</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">war I avoided with essays about</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pacific Northwest imagery in the works</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of Raymond Carver. A bit like</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the skit about the ice cream taster</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and the heart surgeon. The soldiers</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know are always the first</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to tell me what I do is necessary</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and usually I believe that they</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">believe that, and try to write honestly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do not know what music to </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">play in the bar tonight, since most</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">people will be making jokes</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about bar b ques or anticipating</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">returns to different types of </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">drudgery. All I know is that</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it’s the</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hottest day in the history of days</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and there are machines and technological</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">advances that mean I may get</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to fight in that war yet, and the music</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here is a bit on point: the entire</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">empty coffeeshop just burst out</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">in a singalong to “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">Is there life on maars?”</span></span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-80725853842741539452018-12-28T17:13:00.001-08:002018-12-28T17:13:50.490-08:00Don't talk much/too much to sayHaven't been posting here as much, haven't been saying as much here. Partly because I've been saying it elsewhere, and partly because I've not been saying it at all, or saying it too much, to too many people, in too many contexts.<br />
<br />
Still, there'll be a year-end post, as there always is, in some fashion, because old habits die hard.<br />
<br />
I really want there to be a Die-Hard/Sister Act crossover joke in there but I am too lazy to make it. Now the punchline is smirking in your brain.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-69911267162542572822018-12-07T18:20:00.000-08:002018-12-07T18:22:12.385-08:00Piano Manatee Ball Championship<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-fae5d3f5-7fff-edae-bcc2-44bf7c8fee81" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fuck You, Billy Joel</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last time you were in the kind of bar you</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sing about, it was still classy, and fun,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and you were there with your wife</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and the drinks were free</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and don’t try to tell me about lonely,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will invent it for you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">brand new and bloody</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">right before I break your fucking fingers.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-9112603061932775492018-11-13T15:58:00.003-08:002018-11-16T15:49:35.771-08:00Cold Snap/Sunshine<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48c847c9-7fff-73f6-7b45-52ce82f620b2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.08px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bill Withers on the stereo</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a cold, dry November.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just enough before work.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The coffee alcohol spectrum.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I miss everyone, but do not call.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is okay for it to be okay</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to be sad, I have convinced myself.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time is running out before</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am legally required to smile.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is dark inside and outside.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lights are low because</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">brightness is ridiculous.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The song that played </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">over the credits of a fifteen</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">year old movie</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about teenage awkwardness</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">makes its way before I do.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can’t not care, and I’ve spent</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so much of my life putting a premium</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on detachment.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A stylized canoe hangs upside down</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">from the ceiling. I don’t even know</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">what this song</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is called.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-45751163095315614902018-03-13T20:12:00.000-07:002018-03-13T20:12:31.073-07:00Threads.Woke up and finished filling the trash bag. A few shirts I didn't like emblazoned with logos of bands I did and vice versa. Another stretched hoodie I'll not wear again ever. Got the bag full enough it started to fray, threw on pants, shoes and a hat and drug the bag to the 7, hopped off a few stops later. Walked across a long parking lot and tossed the bag in a big blue bin with wheels.<br />
<br />
It's been more than a few years I've been meaning to do a clothing purge. But I've always meant to scour the various used clothing stores of the city-- get the most bang for my buck. I've hit Bon Voyage with mixed success, Madison's with none, Red Light with maybe one shirt offloaded? A few weeks ago I grabbed the most egregious of the clothing items and let them slide down the Addison trash chute.<br />
<br />
But today's selections were different, nearly sentimental, nearly practical, all the reasons you keep things when you maybe shouldn't. Or should, if you were<i> actually gonna hit every thrift shop.</i> If you were<i> really</i> going to take those pants to a tailor, those shoes to a cobbler. Really going to cut all those logos out and make them into patches.<br />
<br />
Anyway, after, with some of these items, years of equivocating and procrastinating, I got rid of them, freeing up a lot of shelf and drawer space.<br />
<br />But it's more the psychological weight. Over the weekend and start of the week there've been a few other things that, for privacy and practicality's sake, aren't worth detailing, except for them having similiarly been weighing on me, and now I feel. . . lighter? To a degree I hadn't anticipated.<br />
<br />
Of course, it is dark and rainy and I'm drinking an Alaskan Porter, so there's a limit to Just How Light I'll feel.<br />
<br />
But this has already been a year of upheaval, and it seems that's a trend that will continue, for better and worse, so making the best.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-32503805019457519952018-02-05T09:32:00.003-08:002018-02-05T09:37:08.029-08:00We Know the Results (rough, new)<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0ee3daf6-6704-19f8-b753-207b7cbb6ce4" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and with it, speculation</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as pros and amateurs alike</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">call in to collect their bets.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and we're all a little drunk and</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">mentioning our friends in Philly</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and considering more cocaine</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or maybe fighting the bartender.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I need to leave this shouting neighborhood.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and there are so many new buildings</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">beckoning for retail, the suited men</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">look tired, these streets will not be clean.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the sports bars prepare for another</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">downturn and hope to live off</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">these profits at least until Saint Patrick’s day.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and it is time to sort my w2s.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and my Dad’s best friend, laid to rest</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">at the Rainier Beach Mortuary in </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a two hour ceremony one hour before</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I work. My sister texting tears that</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">she can’t make it out.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Mom’s pet dove, family pet for</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">thirteen years, shivering in it’s blanket</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">then still.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and seriously </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fuck </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that one guy,</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and his voting record, this can,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or has to, mean something. We</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">taste his tears from TV screens.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and there are buses I no longer take</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pictures I’m wiping from my phone</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a Cat I’ll never see again</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and a line around the block</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for a play I will not see.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so no more guesswork. The why</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it went the way it did are stories</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that will change with tellers. There</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">will be another one next year</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and after that, an occasion</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for fundraisers and toy drives</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and nachos and puppies</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and million dollar commercials.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Super Bowl is Over</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><br style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">which means there must be winners</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font: 400 16px/22.08px "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but I am more concerned with losses now; </span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">that corner space in the charming building</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">promised such potential</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">, sits empty.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-89358906851102301732017-12-08T15:39:00.001-08:002017-12-08T15:39:20.905-08:00Some daysa burger with an egg on it, a mimosa, a shit ton of coffee, and an upscale coffee shop playing gutter punk are the push-pulls that lead to advanced productivity.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-74243919964702361722017-10-30T16:47:00.001-07:002017-10-31T15:24:56.630-07:00Tepid Takes #12: Endless Re-Litigation at the End of the WorldIn the wake of this morning's <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/two-ex-trump-aides-charged-in-russia-probe-third-pleads-guilty/ar-AAudhai?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp">declaration that it's Mueller Time</a>, many folks across the various social media platforms I've extricated myself from (but logged back into because band stuff) are salivating like eager little truffle pigs. Others are still in despair mode, anticipating the <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_good_fight/2017/10/don_t_wait_for_trump_to_fire_mueller_the_time_to_start_fighting_back_is.html">latest unconstitutional gambit </a>from a President known for them and a complicit congress. I personally think that as things ramp up, more Republicans will jump ship; not because they possess any sort of moral fortitude, or care about the republic, but because their big gambit hasn't proven legislatively useful. The potential radioactivity of covering for a President who is not only hopelessly corrupt but largely incompetent will likely lead a lot of them to back away, hands in the air, whistling.<br />
<br />
Still, what does this all mean for Democrats, and the larger Left, moderate-to-far? Frankly, not a helluva lot unless "we" get our shit together. And at local and grassroots levels, I think there's a lot to be hopeful about. But as 2017 has at times sped, and at others crawled, forward, the initial <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/">Moment of Unity</a> has all but dissipated. Instead, you have Tom Perez <a href="https://mic.com/articles/185467/a-purge-at-the-dnc-shows-sanders-vs-clinton-divisions-are-still-not-healed-for-democrats#.eWLhKFb8e">purging the left flank of the Dems from many official positions</a> in the party. Twitter, a medium I've excused myself from because, frankly, I wasn't helping, is basically a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBwvIX7Sao">hammer fight</a> between Dems who supported Hillary and those who supported Bernie.*<br />
<br />
Much of this was spurred on by <i>What Happened</i>, a tome whose very existence spurred endless controversy. For the record, I hold these three semi contradictory opinions:<br />
<br />
1) Hillary had every, <i>every </i>right to write that book. Many of the "she should just disappear" people are the ones who jumped down her throat two days after she didn't weigh in on Harvey Weinstein. For many, there's a perverse fascination that turns every issue into a referendum on Her. It's stupid, and unless you want to have a lot in common with Newt Gingrich, you should fucking stop.<br />
<br />
2) <i>Jesus fucking Christ could the timing have maybe been a little bit worse? COULD YOU HAVE SPECIFICALLY PLOTTED IT OUT SO YOU COULD DO MORE TO DAMAGE THE PARTY YOU STROVE TO LEAD? </i>The book could have come out on the year anniversary, or two years later, or after the 2018 midterms, or maybe just any time besides six months later. As such, it re-cast the terms of the Dems as H vs. B, instead of a coalition finding its mission statement.<br />
<br />
3) I didn't read it. I spent the last six years of my life in Seattle's Literary Scene, so the number of out of touch, classist, self righteous, "liberal" patricians I've met is uncountable. I voted for Her and told others to vote for her, goddammit, but reading a whole tome of H Eat Pray Loving her way out of the guilt of handing America over to Fascism because she hired tech bros and robots to run her campaign. . . well.<br />
<br />
That said, the clips from it that bothered me weren't the ones where she talked about Bernie Bros-- that's basically what her fans are paying to read. It's the red meat. The clips that bothered me were, in fact, more policy based, and more telling. When talking about the hardships faced by rural communities and small towns, her basic take is "We need to create more opportunities in the Cities, so the kids can move." It confirms the Right's talking point that Liberals Don't Care About You Unless You're Rich and Hip**.<br />
If you're not already sick of the topic read <a href="https://thebaffler.com/blessed-and-brightest/what-happened">A Wonk on the Wild Side</a>. It's the most thoughtful critique of the book by someone who's actually. read. it. that I've seen. Admittedly, no one at <i>The Baffler </i>is gonna be too sympathetic to someone who goes to the Hamptons to relax.*** But Lehman shows a remarkable sympathy towards the human being, while examining the policies and ideas that got us here.<br />
<br />
Because this didn't start in 2016. Dems didn't hemorrhage house seats in 2010 because of Hillary Clinton. Dems didn't lose most of the governorships across the nation because the Bernie Bros sabotaged them. It wasn't Russia that flipped the Senate in 2014. There has been a rot in this party for years, but said party still remains the most viable political options for people who give a shit about other people and want results, instead of just stickers. As Mueller circles his wagons, and Republicans start to shed their faux loyalty, Dems need to figure out what to do and fast-- because the <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-10-29/full-recovery-from-california-wildfires-may-take-years">world</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/world/bees-eco-solutions/index.html">is</a> <a href="https://www.vox.com/2017/8/12/16138132/charlottesville-rally-brawl-nazi">on</a> <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/30/560853587/lingering-power-outage-in-puerto-rico-strains-health-care-system">fire.</a><br />
<br />
And I'm pretty sure there's something worse than Donald Trump out there, waiting.<br />
<br />
*<i>It's stupid that I have to, but I think my next one of these Tepid Takes will be a run down of my Complete Opinions About Bernie Vs. Hillary. </i><br />
<i>**It's a sign of the right's sickness and sadism that "hip" can also just mean a Person of Color, or Gay, or Trans, etc. That when Dems are defending the rights of poor black people, the right casts it as some sort of Hollywood Stunt. This doesn't mean, however, that the Rich part of the equation can't be examined or that Dems shouldn't get smarter about messaging.</i><br />
<i>***The next person who whines about "reverse classism" or "that's ALSO discrimination" can put their head through this nice little wooden collar I've made for them. . .</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Tepid takes is a new series of occasional, usual anecdotal musings a few days to months after the fact, usually around politics or social issues, for when a status update or series of tweets simply won't suffice.</i> </div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-21815109117409158792017-07-19T14:05:00.001-07:002017-07-19T14:05:32.337-07:00Tepid Takes #458: Ossoff and You and Everyone You KnowA few weeks have passed-- or months, not sure, the world's been busy-- since Democrats <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/jon-ossoffs-supporters-reckon-with-his-loss-and-what-comes-next">most recent soul-crushing shock defeat</a> in a race they were sure they could win. Indeed, this was just <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2017/05/26/quist-leads-early-voting-u-s-house-seat/347971001/">one </a>of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/kansas-house-special-election-district-4">three</a> elections in areas that haven't voted blue in decades that Democrats had confidence in winning because some of these voters who never vote Democrat Don't Like Donald Trump That Much. Of the three, <a href="http://www.clickhole.com/article/back-drawing-board-dnc-scientists-just-carried-scr-6273">Jon Ossoff's</a> race was seen as the closest, polls had him ahead at points. But if you're reading this, you probably know the whole story, and there's plenty of dialogue, much of it <i>profoundly</i> unconstructive*, about What It Means, How Could We Lose, etc. <br />
<br />
Honestly, while Moral Victories mean jack shit electorally, the fact that Dems could run competitive races in historically red (who picked the colors anyway?) areas is a legitimately encouraging sign. <br />
<br />
One of the arguments I keep seeing is that if Rob Quist or James Thompson had had the sort of massive financial backing that Jon Ossoff had, they'd have won their respective races. I think this is entirely plausible, but hardly a given. Still, let's accept that premise for a second-- that with funding equivalent (even equivalent to half of) the Georgia race, we'd have two new Democrats in office, and the beginning of a Grand Populist Wave on the Wings of Bernie. The embittered argument tends to be that the Democratic Establishment is hell bent on keeping a tight fist around the party, and that a hatred of true progressivism, as well as crony capitalism, has hopelessly corrupted the DNC.<br />
<br />
I think the real answer is far simpler, and a little more depressing. Dems** are more invested in winning over moderate suburban Republicans than <i>historically Democratic </i>working class counties is because suburban Republicans are their peers. These are their people. College educated home-owners who take at least one international vacation per year, these are folks they know how to talk to. When Chuck Schumer claimed that for every out-of-work rust belt worker who they lost, they'd gain moderates in the suburbs, he wasn't just espousing dubious political strategy, he was expressing the subconscious hope of a party that just simply doesn't know how-- <i>and increasingly hasn't cared</i>-- to talk to anyone they couldn't see themselves at a dinner party with. They want the votes of people their kids are going to private school with. Folks for whom student loans, health care, rising rents are <i>social </i>concerns, rather than personal ones, so all the arguments can be removed and civil. <br />
<br />
This isn't nefarious, or evil, or even unusual-- it's a pretty normal trait to want to associate with, reach out to, and commiserate with people you have things in common with. It may be the most clumsily, sadly humanizing thing about a party apparatus that <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/michigan-hillary-clinton-trump-232547">ignored urgent pleas from people on the ground in favor of data-models</a> and is more likely to source from Tech or Wall Street than community organizers. I get it-- I'd rather hang out with my fellow jaded bartenders and musicians than pretty much anyone who works for the Democratic party. And maybe I'd go my way and they'd go theirs, and I'd trust them and all their vastly reasonable logic<i> if it was working.</i><br />
<br />
But it's not.<br />
<br />
<br />
(*<i>my favorite question is "How can we more effectively tie people to Trump. Let's make this state/local election a referendum on Trump." My my. If ONLY THERE HAD BEEN SOME ATTEMPT TO DO THIS ON A NATIONAL SCALE. If only we had some way to gauge whether running a negative campaign against Trump is effective. SADLY NO SUCH TRIAL HAS OCCURRED, SO WE BETTER JUST KEEP BAGGING ON TRUMP.)</i><br />
<br />
(**<i>Dems here refers largely to the funding/donor class, and many of those currently holding national office. Not the little old lady who volunteers after church. Feel free to comment with examples of the working class Dem Senator with a history of protecting workers rights; but do know that yes, I know they exist. And that there's a range of grassroots campaigns in the works or underway that are potentially transformative, etc etc)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Tepid takes is a new series of occasional, usual anecdotal musings a few days to months after the fact, usually around politics or social issues, for when a status update or series of tweets simply won't suffice.</i>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-16374713873951119822017-04-30T11:58:00.000-07:002017-04-30T11:58:30.812-07:0030/30: Murder Television On the Brink of SleepWhere do the buzzdings<br />
of my<br />
phone<br />
<br />
end<br />
and<br />
yours begin?<br />
<br />
Out in the kitchen,<br />
leggings and green<br />
beans and rich,<br />
sour coffee.<br />
<br />
In the bathroom with<br />
skin cream and torn<br />
jeans.<br />
<br />
Night I had nightmares<br />
<br />
about the shows<br />
we were watching<br />
<br />
and other things that<br />
blur into a wheatpaste<br />
<br />
of images and ideas, the<br />
past ten years through<br />
<br />
brownout glasses,<br />
the back of head rush<br />
before the tears start.<br />
<br />
Where do my<br />
loose hairs<br />
start<br />
and yours<br />
end?<br />
<br />
Somewhere in the vicinity<br />
of purple.<br />
<br />
Waking up and shaking off<br />
in covers and<br />
sleepy jokes<br />
and that moment<br />
when the arm that fell asleep<br />
also wakes, pulls in.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-6592114924677171192017-04-29T11:00:00.000-07:002017-04-29T12:52:39.678-07:0029/30: Body Acknowledgement Poem<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My ears gunked up and packed in</span></span><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">by the headphones I use to </span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
</b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">drown out the reggae in the</span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">rich white coffee shop that</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">has become my home for</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">free wi fi.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Hairs on the backs of my hands</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">stand up as the songs that</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I love fills my skull gaps</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and a left wrist itch, tickled</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">by headphone wires.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The balls of my feet</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">solid against new shoes,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">my arches gapped between</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">them and the back of my</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">neck and arms</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">cold every time someone opens</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">the goddamn door.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My heart pounds and twitters</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">from the espresso and </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">each sentence I type quickly</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">my fingertips shoot directly</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">to my guts and heart and</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">all the internals that squick</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and gulf with excitement </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and jitters and involuntary</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">misspells. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My gut sucks in on itself</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">as I hunch over and squint</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">automatically; equal parts</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">sun and screen. Shoulders</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">always need popping, </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">toes curl and uncurl, bald</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">strips colder and itchier than</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">the sides of my head</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">where the hair still disobeys</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">orders of comb or hat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My ass squishes comfortably</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">against the wicker chair, my thighs</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">just fat enough to flex</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">when I run. Knees that aren’t</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">sore from that. . . yet. My dick</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">snug between boxer briefs</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and thigh in jeans that</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">only count as tight</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">when I sit like this. Spine</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">curved and straightened</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">like roads on a city map.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My shadow stretching out</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">over the table and floor</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">where it meets</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">the chair’s shadow</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and with a cloud</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">disappears.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-6550182876550230792017-04-28T13:09:00.001-07:002017-04-28T13:11:39.380-07:0028/30: Anthropomorphy Now!<b style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0d66731c-b62b-361a-bb5f-4d20429af156" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A pitch for a film about the emotional lives of dead skin flakes.</span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Their tremendous journey from scalp to pillowcase with the vocal</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">talents of Emma Stone and Aziz Ansari.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(or possibly Katherine Heigl, if she’s free and it’s comeback time)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A working outline for a novel about a melancholy espresso machine</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">waiting for a love that never comes, but never the less learning</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">to take satisfaction in the steam.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(a story for our times!)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A storyboard for a graphic novel about the half lives of</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">T-shirts, many pen and pencil close ups of weeping threads.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why doesn’t he wear me any more?”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(“Same” posts the heartbroken college girl)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A premise for a short story about the sexual predilictions</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">of floorboards. The whole thing is "wood" puns.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Hint: it totally gets published, your dumb</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">thing doesn't)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A draft of a poem about door knobs. What hands have held them?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How have they turned? What fluids have dribbled down their </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">supple curves? What slight wrist turns? What pushes on their</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shiny</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">nubile</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">frame?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Oh, </span><i><span style="color: white;">knobby, knobby, knobby.</span></i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(This is the entire poem, actually)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span></b>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-85302556980035176862017-04-27T13:23:00.001-07:002017-04-27T13:23:09.950-07:0027/30: Constant Closet ConcernsThe weather's playing tricks again<br />
<br />
fashion dismay in the brick courtyard.<br />
<br />
Falafel tragedies on sidewalks, too fast<br />
<br />
in heels up first avenue, power lunches<br />
<br />
on the cheap. Sweat your make up off,<br />
<br />
loosen your silk tie. The lies this morning's<br />
<br />
haze told, you should know better by<br />
<br />
now, just have the wardrobe follow you, <br />
<br />
like a puppy or a goat, there for when<br />
<br />
you need to reach back and grab a blazer.<br />
<br />
It's already almost May is both <br />
<br />
the reason this rain has you aghast<br />
<br />
and why it shouldn't be so hot yet.<br />
<br />
A light jacket, fashionable top,<br />
<br />
open toed shoes; all shows of optimism<br />
<br />
or defiance.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-4176312401803032482017-04-25T12:15:00.000-07:002017-04-25T12:15:44.320-07:0025/30: Conversations With My Classmate-Professor Over Lunch in Cardiff<b style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0d66731c-a285-6e0d-cba7-08d91bbd7bb6" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Of all the places, high street, of all the places on high street, a faux-mexican</span></span></b></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">chain with bad spellings and valleys accents. Here again for all the unpacking </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">at the logical end of the course we took together.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">find ourselves comparing notes eight years from the day he said</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">so you’re also an American, and showed me the best seat</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">in the mini-cafe.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The years they have been kind?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Strange? About the same?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">His kids are people now, big</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">laughs and so many transgressive</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">authors, Naked Lunch Naked Lunch</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Naked Lunch and how the students</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">need</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">to be shaken</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and twisted</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and broken</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">you just keep writing and throwing it</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">out and keep writing and throwing it</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">out to the high street, he gestures,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">something for the people, these</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">people they just go about their little</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">lives.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">At some point in our thirties we just start looking the same</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">for a long time. We met when he was a year younger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">than I am now, he’s lost a little weight, but aging only</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">shows in family pictures. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">So many beat authors and pages full</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">of violence, his students complain, especially</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">the women, but people need to know</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">life’s not all gardens and shopping</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and roses. he references Thoreau</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and Ginsberg and Lydia so and so</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and says something about guts</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">on the page. GUTS. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">To break up the bland, pleasant</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">horror of domesticity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">What are we doing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">here on the high street,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">if we’re not picking up tail</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">or telling rough truths?</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">He’s married. I’m not. He was married when we met.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I wasn’t. The Cardiff we meet in and the Cardiff</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">he lives in are different places even so. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The new book is meant to be</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">destroyed, because art is temporal.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I get a copy for free. He has to give</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">some of his students credit, they call him</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">on his shit. He’s got shit, like I’ve got shit</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">like they’ve got shit, but these</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">are his classes and </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I learn more, here on high street</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">about Cardiff Uni Politics</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">than will</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">hopefully ever be useful.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Always used to joke to me to not get married, fuck around as</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">long as possible. Struck me as sad, and honest. A third weak</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">beer in and I remember three years ago, he sent a few links</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">for professor jobs in Cardiff, then one in Bellingham that</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">he’d thought about. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">But you can’t uproot family. You, you could go anywhere.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">He pulls a page out of his book and wraps his tip in it</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">things are going pretty well, he re-iterates, life is what it </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">is, just kicking against the long going</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">and I take another look down high street</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">contemplating curriculums for those who only</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">wish</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">their desperation could be</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">quiet.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span></b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-36736503753395956452017-04-24T17:27:00.000-07:002017-04-24T17:27:20.307-07:0024/30: EvictionsUpside down American Flag <i>Try me, fuckers, try me.</i><br />
wheatpasted next to Johnny Cash <i>Ambiguous icons. No arguments.</i><br />
and a robot lady with eagle <i>Sexy, but not. Ominous.</i><br />
tattoos on a brick <i>Plan your wedding photos here.</i><br />
building that isn't long <i>I am surprised you are not dead yet.</i><br />
for this block. <br />
<br />
The key to my room I marked with a Hot Water sticker<br />
from work in a month when all my keys looked the same<br />
and I was frequently drunk and every other day they<br />
entered my room to check for pipe problems or ventilation<br />
problems or bug problems or window problems. They did<br />
this with all the rooms, according notes on computer paper<br />
taped to doors, minutes within compliance of renter's rights<br />
law.<br />
<br />
<i>What do you want from a home</i><br />
<i> These apartments are made of steel,</i><br />
<i> stucco, glass, cocaine, rat corpses</i><br />
<i> and Adderall. No one gets out of these</i><br />
<i> apartments alive because these apartments</i><br />
<i> are the entire world, you are just moving</i><br />
<i> room to room to room and sometimes </i><br />
<i> falling out of windows.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Saul is gone. Notice on his door.<br />
Not sure why. He was skinnier and <br />skinnier and more swollen and he was<br />
friendly enough and we talked<br />
about PJ Harvey's fucked up<br />
relationship with Nick Cave<br />
and he was one of the few people<br />
on my floor that neither twitched<br />
and muttered nor wore<br />
a backwards baseball cap.<br />
<br />
<i>I am a cold ghost. I am a fire alarm. I am a broken flatscreen. I am a home invasion warning from the new security team. I am here to answer any of your questions. I am a floor and a ceiling. I am fucking in the weight room bathrooms. I am constantly tuned to CNN while an elderly polish woman endlessly folds laundry at midnight. I am a bed of roaches. I am a hall of rat tails. I am a song about the same neighborhood that sicks in your throat. I am a book about prostitutes at the turn of the century. I am your neighbor's sex life, loud and unforgiving. I am a hot plate and a broken microwave. I am a block without trees. I am a manmade waterfall. I am your neighbor's toilet flushing at five a.m. I am a gathering of poets staring at night skyscrapers. I am a constantly reconstructing view. I am in the middle of everything and sending you everywhere. I am the reason you are gone. I am the reason this building still stands. I am temporary. I am permanent.</i>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-72016326051384235362017-04-23T11:13:00.001-07:002017-04-23T11:13:27.860-07:0023/30: "Good morning my son! Your Father and I are planning on dying soon.". . . is what I heard over the Sprint Network<br />
<br />
when an idle mention of Life Insurance, and how<br />
<br />
they are finally getting On That.<br />
<br />
I thought of my Grandpa's funeral, my Aunt's <br />
<br />
funeral, my Grandmother's funeral, all<br />
<br />
the stacks of paperwork and <br />
<br />
runs to party supply stores for ribbons<br />
<br />
and picture frames, and the tedium of<br />
<br />
memorials I saw the women of the family<br />
<br />
execute sharply and how I could barely keep<br />
<br />
it together.<br />
<br />
". . . so if, you know, The Lord decides to take us <br />
<br />
both at once, make it easy on us. . . of course, that'd<br />
<br />
be harder on you kids. . ."<br />
<br />
That would be consistent with the behavior<br />
<br />
of the Lord I've met. First I picture a car accident<br />
<br />
something bloody on a bridge, called to<br />
<br />
Identify the bodies. . . But no.<br />
<br />
This would be more like Enoch, aforementioned<br />
<br />
Lord giving the two finger beckon;<br />
<br />
both my parents sitting together, holding hands<br />
<br />
the way they do, silently when the right<br />
<br />
jazz standard, or Beatles song comes<br />
<br />
on, in one of the cars they <br />
<br />
actually liked, that little yellow one maybe<br />
<br />
and they just<br />
<br />
drive <br />
<br />
away.<br />
<br />grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-8590521830085583942017-04-22T11:33:00.000-07:002017-04-22T11:33:37.395-07:0022/30: Notes En Route Alongisde the March For ScienceDarth Vaders with Han Solo signs.<br />
Elbows to elbows to knees to smalls of backs.<br />
Snide asides from the "justtryingtogettowork"<br />
crowd about "finally a march I'm on board with."<br />
<br />
Plenty of jokes. Plenty of quotes. Plenty of<br />
white folks with dreadlocks. No sign of hacky sack<br />
in the rain. <br />
<br />
A bullhorn in the rapidly filling park. <br />Cheers. A switching tide of people,<br />
toward and away from less clogged routes,<br />
toward and away from shorter lines for coffee.<br />
<br />
Plenty of portraits of obscure physicists next to<br />
"It's Motherfucking SCIENCE BITCH" next to<br />
grey haired ladies in rumpled gortex talking about<br />
priests of nonviolence and the 70s and the <br />
documentary their lone young companion should watch.<br />
<br />
Storm troopers with anti-fa arm bands.<br />
A chance to dress up in a casual town.<br />
A swarming sea of blacks and blues and greens<br />
and the thought that Science will continue<br />
whether we recognize it or not,<br />
<br />
much to the terror of the man pulling a radio<br />
flyer with two brown haired children,<br />
thumbsucking and curled up on eachother<br />
like puppies.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-84218345756430745132017-04-21T15:39:00.000-07:002017-04-21T15:39:14.777-07:0021/30: #TargetsA poem about Class in Seattle, <br />
Class in myself, the idea of Taste as<br />
Class signifier, of Class as Taste<br />
signifier, of Education as Class<br />
and Taste signifier, as how despite my<br />
love for both the band and radio station,<br />
I couldn't help but define the <br />New Pornographers as<br />
KEXP the band.<br />
<br />
this is not a compliment.<br />
<br />
A poem about Subarus.<br />
A poem about people who <br />
pay so much money for durable<br />
flip flops and then eat such expensive food<br />
in those durable flip flops and<br />
a poem about people, these<br />
same ones, who think that<br />
we relate to eachother because<br />
we've both read Bolano.<br />
<br />
A poem about self-isolation<br />
and a poem about self immolation<br />
in the need to fit in. The gatekeepers<br />
still exist, despite the thinkpieces<br />
gatekeepers share on their facebook<br />
about how the internet<br />
has rid us<br />
of gatekeepers.<br />
<br />
This is not a complaint.<br />
<br />
A poem about what sorts of <br />
buildings the suburbs meant<br />
growing up, and what they mean <br />
now, and a poem about<br />
<br />
the assholes who live in my building<br />
who let their friends steal flat<br />
screened TVs and a poem about <br />
the whole of recorded history<br />
as seen through subsidized housing.<br />
<br />
I am also an asshole in my building<br />
but none of my friends have done the sort of damage<br />
that leads to long term policy or rental changes.<br />
<br />
A poem about "mindfulness."<br />
A poem about "following your dreams" or about "hard work" or about Nice Things and why we can have them, actually, if we change our attitudes.<br />
A poem about your favorite yoga place.<br />
A poem about my favorite sandwich shop.<br />
A poem about the way the moderately wealthy<br />
do more to shame to poor than the extremely wealthy do<br />
90% of the time, their smirks and their aphorisms.<br />
<br />
A poem about the friends I used to have,<br />
who hover like vultures in comment sections and<br />
wider gatherings, whose lives of relative wit<br />
and misanthropy sour like milk and burn like<br />
spilt coffee.<br />
<br />
This is not a high ground, but it's the only ground I've got.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-6392697083198935802017-04-20T12:12:00.001-07:002017-04-20T12:12:21.796-07:0020/30: Well Whiskey and a Rainier<i>for Natalie</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
A neutral bar-- enough; one might quarrel with the bartender's tattoos<br />
but who can argue with pizza? Don't know exactly what I was expecting<br />
one year ago over pepperoni slices, except that you were<br />
hotter in person and your voice warmer than any bio-interests belied.<br />
<br />
Those sparkler moments when interest went from idle to active--<br />
your "because if you can, why not?" over a trip to Scotland to watch<br />
a band with a sentence long name, the romance lighting, the way<br />
when we decamped to the last and only journalist dive in town<br />
<br />
you said "yah, I'm not fancy, give me a well whiskey and a rainier."<br />
The well at the Streamline is Old Crow. We learn, in time, this is our<br />
low-end threshold, that it's worth a dollar or two more for<br />
Beam or Jack when facing down Potters or McCormicks.<br />
<br />
The Rainier remains steady, sometimes even without the whiskey.<br />
Those first-date bars are out of our way, but haven't disappeared.<br />
Pizza remains steady, sometimes even without pepperoni.<br />
This morning I kissed you half sleeping, made breakfast,<br />
left the last egg for you.<br />
<br />grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-20125824871859439032017-04-19T00:11:00.000-07:002017-04-19T00:11:10.430-07:0019/30: In Which I Summon the Ghosts of Still Living ScribesTen oil paint woodland water scenes<br />
in this room where two men in<br />
turbans compare data over a <br />
laptop and the guy who works at<br />
the gyro place where they recognize<br />
my nephew sits in a chair with<br />
an embroidered cushion while<br />
songs with echo-ey lady vocals<br />
drift over the sound of espresso<br />
machines, and I believe that if<br />
there is a problem in this room<br />
I am part of it.<br />
<br />
This is the second poem I've written<br />
in A Muddy Cup in my life time and the<br />
more-than-second poem I've written<br />
during this arbitrary daily-poem-calendar<br />
-time about the coffee shop that I'm writing<br />
in and if every poem is a little bit<br />
about poetry, then all of mine are a lot<br />
about poetry, but this is the second one<br />
that I consciously chose to write this month<br />
and I will finish my taxes a little later<br />
than I planned.<br />
<br />
Now this is like a Shane Guthrie poem<br />
or Ryan Johnson poem, they are also both<br />
writing poems every day or almost<br />
every day, because it is important and we<br />
know we are important because we<br />
choose to do this, and they also both<br />
have written about the act of writing and<br />
I'm not sure if they'll be flattered or offended<br />
<br />
that I sat in a room with it's own library<br />
that is in the business of giving people a <br />
place to sit and not be terrified of the world<br />
but ostensibly it's just coffee and now<br />
this piece is much much longer than either<br />
Ryan or Shane usually write, even longer<br />
than a poem by Jake Tucker, who was the <br />
most enthused about the 30/30s, but has<br />
written the least, so I assume he has broken<br />
fingers by a Moose in Canada, but yes,<br />
mush longer of a poem than any<br />
of theirs, unless<br />
it's an epic diatribe,<br />
surrealist or<br />
political, respectively, <br />
God<br />
I could use<br />
one of those<br />
<br />
right now.<br />
<br />grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-91714669336210375172017-04-18T13:15:00.002-07:002017-04-18T13:15:28.660-07:0018/30: TFW: TBT/FBF<div>
Never underestimate your capacity for:</div>
<div>
creative cosplay</div>
<div>
the duckface you mock in others</div>
<div>
hair so bad you swore never again until today,</div>
<div>
then, the mirror, the <i>howcomenoonetoldme?</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Never overestimate the social market for:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
creative duckface</div>
<div>
the cosplay you mock in others</div>
<div>
eyehangs so bad you swear next time will be sun</div>
<div>
glasses, or more water, or sleep, or no allergies.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Okay, fine.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was the summer of pastel sweaters, went so</div>
<div>
far to flirt with polos, didn't like yacht rock but</div>
<div>
wanted invites to the parties. didn't have a 401K</div>
<div>
but could agree about Murakami and headfake through</div>
<div>
a conversation about Rose. far less responses to </div>
<div>
this post from when, but you were less connected then/</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>whatever</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
happened to that scarf?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Never underestimate your capacity for:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
nostalgia for coping-benders</div>
<div>
nostalgia for drunk poetry readings and the afterlaughs</div>
<div>
nostalgia for inadequate grocery stores</div>
<div>
nostalgia for the people with the droning speech and </div>
<div>
single college anecdote </div>
<div>
<i>soyoungthen.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Never overestimate your tendency to:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
overfilter photographs of milk/ cookies.</div>
<div>
self-congratulate for reality television</div>
<div>
idle judgement on a brew of coffee as your frozen</div>
<div>
pizza burns.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>but at least I--</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
It was the winter of mixed drinks. like most winters,</div>
<div>
punctuated by January's forced moderation and the </div>
<div>
half-week of snowball fights. the best thing about it,</div>
<div>
even then, were the pictures of friends, best ones,</div>
<div>
collapsed in banks outside rest areas. action shots</div>
<div>
snowballs quick and in-frame. that was a time ago,</div>
<div>
now, algorithm calculated for nostalgia,</div>
<div>
for when it snowed,</div>
<div>
when we were</div>
<div>
there, naming our adventures</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
when that was even a frame</div>
<div>
we'd all be in.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
. </div>
grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-78278388189974944482017-04-17T09:56:00.001-07:002017-04-17T09:56:18.176-07:0017/30: Speculative Derision On the Fourth Edge of Defensive Estate SalesThe word that<br />
floats in and out of<br />
common lexicon<br />
and in and out<br />
and in and out<br />
of my repertoire<br />
<br />
Things I just want to say, will<br />
write whole paragraphs to justify<br />
"gloaming" or "majestic" or "crustacean justice."<br />
Efficacious and loquacious.<br />
<br />
Feels<br />
on my<br />
tongue (ears, how it sounds)<br />
<br />
Claiming a theory, a deep, academic knowledge<br />
of the trips my tongue falls over, takes happy<br />
hours of brain space to <br />
<br />
justify <br />
these lullabies on the spastic<br />
twitch of finger jitter keyboard<br />
molasses<br />
these<br />
not-jokes but<br />
strictly, strychnine, sounds like hounds ate<br />
clowns while dime-turned on a sentence<br />
on a retrial caught on tapeworm by<br />
innocent venison<br />
(meat)<br />
can't possibly<br />
can't possibly<br />
can't possibly<br />
<br />
be seriousness. Furiousness. Curiousness.<br />
Stopped rhyming my poems sometime<br />
in High School, but the <br />
urge<br />
(somewhere in the brain near<br />
where the puns are kept, but<br />
both more vulgar and refined)<br />
never leaves,<br />
just pops up like a bubble in soup<br />
<br />
waiting to get popped, hammered, slammered,<br />
betwixt the fortnight and the afterthought,<br />
the punch-fought dirigible on the edge of bedside<br />
morale, just ratcheting, ratcheting, ratcheting.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-13994847293423208162017-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:002017-04-16T20:03:05.577-07:0016/30: Hour Hand StuckA clerkship at a faceless company.<br />
Sitting in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A bus you miss for lack of sprinting.<br />
Left waiting in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A knuckle rash, an elbow sting.<br />
Aching in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
Caffiene drops out, demands more caffeine.<br />
To jolt you through the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A stack of tasks, collated and stamped.<br />
Filing through the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
The three p.m. and one p.m. are ghosts.<br />
Grinning at the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A bus you catch that jolts and starts.<br />
Staying in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A sleep that waits like cats on roofs. <br />
Waking through the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A stapler that breaks with three files left.<br />
Mocks you in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
Neighbor dogs bark every time.<br />
Unknown in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
Neighbor cats go run and yowl.<br />
Hiding in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A clerkship with transparency.<br />
Promised by the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
Processed cheese and cardboard bread<br />Demand repeats in the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
A grind of tasks, and guts, and dust.<br />
Crunched out of the long grey two p.m.<br />
<br />
Til five p.m. til five p.m. til five p.m.<br />Whispered in the long grey two p.m.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-65305272375129603052017-04-15T11:39:00.000-07:002017-04-15T11:39:29.524-07:0015/30: Bartending Poem 538 or Eight O'Clock O'Neill Shutdown<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">You won’t win an argument with Kelly.</span></span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Damn your intentions, </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hang your execution,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Garrot your rhetoric,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Flay your dialogue.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She’ll take your drink offer,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">One for her husband too,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And you’ll wave your point</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">About like a broken finger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As she, right, wrong,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Or just stubborn,</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Shake-heads you out of the room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">You came to the bar ready for some</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hot-tongued neighborhood mingle,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Some bar-slapping laughs</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And throat clearing gesticulations</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">As the lights dim, and the shots</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Get stiffer, and the families get</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Self conscious, and the music's</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">all songs of fucking or fighting,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">You do not have to leave</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With anyone, but at least</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Would like to prove yourself right.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But you</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Won’t</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Win</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">An argument</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">With Kelly.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">David, maybe, but not Kelly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She has defeated crosswords smarter</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Than you and riven sudoku more complex.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b> <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Pick your dialogues wisely, and know that</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once she’s gone, the new set takes their place</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And you should probably be going too.</span></span>grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-860246989240352409.post-20098856200355215392017-04-13T12:36:00.001-07:002017-04-13T12:36:12.909-07:0013/30: Shadows of 45The what-to-do? list.<br />
<br />
An article about how an unlikely band of sculptors<br />
ousted an Estonian autocrat in the early '00s, forwarded<br />
by a friend you met twelve years ago in an attic.<br />
<br />
This is the first from them in five years. Signed "stay strong."<br />
<br />
The what-to-do? guilt.<br />
<br />
First on the list, always feel guilty, <br />
there is never enough.<br />
<br />
Bodies hit the floor, like in that song<br />
you thought was funny once, full of<br />
lead or pressed by men-cum-cyborgs<br />
by weight of their machinery vests.<br />
<br />
That paralyzing lilt in conversation, how<br />
do you answer<br />
"how are you<br />
today?"<br />
<br />
You just want to read your poems and eat your still-delicious<br />
foods and-- <i>no.</i><br />
You just want to break windows and rise up and-- <i>no.</i><br />
You just want to know what you can do to help<br />
and then your inbox is full and half the links<br />
are viruses.<br />
<br />
Setting aside the time<br />
for vigilance, <br />
the time for guard<br />
to never<br />
be <br />
let<br />
down. A week from tomorrow,<br />
with friends at the park<br />
with signs.<br />
<br />
The what-to-do? Wait, every song too oblivious<br />
or on-the-nose.<br />
<br />
Til then, it's a bright and sunny day. nearly 80 in april.<br />
try to enjoy it. don't think about what that means.grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664695227003175322noreply@blogger.com1