WAPAUSHTGOWYLD

today, I succumb to the obvious –

we were born between periods in time

that historians still struggle to name;

Generation Applebee’s upgrades from career

to career, allegiance to the feed. Generation

Beta can’t work at all, rubbing one out

on the clock’s face – between the toke

& the title menu. Halleluiah! Today, I succumb!

I’m part of that unwilling & crippled Generation

fueled by unmanageable debt

infertile by their own fields



*


oh, that’s fine. At least we still have conversation,

at least I can still make you kick. When I get

all serious, people stop paying attention. It’s like

those terrible political activist paintings that obviously

hate their audience.

Why bother, we think. &

why are pants & underwear

so hard to get off when you’re lying down?


*

World War I used to be called

the Great War

just like the Great Depression

used to be called the Great Depression


*


blame gravity when there’s no one else in the room

or Salinger

yeah, that’s easier



*


in this short time together, lying here, struggling

with the obvious, I’ve decided to name the thing –

not so you know what I’m talking about

I’ve never been worried about that

but to put some magic back

where the magic was

& now we’re magic