Читать книгу Songs I Sing - B. Germain Reynolds - Страница 17

And So It Goes

A picture, my purse and their pastime

Random

Disparate

Phenomena to consider

Seen with the eye,

Imprinted on the brain

As good as words

Meaning defined by means

Pocket book, modern men take a look

Brand names, brassily displayed

Marking the times

Evincing the ages

Each on its own

Symbol, meme

Dating us

Claiming our affections

Useful

Wasteful

Objects of vanity

The eternal march

Gabbing the future

Little to lose

Bags to gain

Much ado about nothing

Their value is everything

And so it goes.

A picture,

Pretty colors captured in a square

Telling a story, capturing a mood

A still moment caught in a shot

An expression, movement, frozen

In time

In pose

Serious subjects, playful pets

Cute babies, awed parents

Tall men, curvy women

Wise elders keeping watch

The secret of wisdom

Rheumy in their eyes.

In counterpoint

Energetic youth darting by

Their focus on the object

Of social access

At their fingertips

Addictive in their gaze

Senses blocked

Another device

Carried in their ear

Bringing the continuous music

Of the day

Outlawed in a year

Its constant stream

Competing with dreams

Framed in context

A culture hallowing

Personality

Opinion

Trends

Sound bites

Sowing seeds each pixel

Of doubt

Of despair

Of competition

Of discontent

With the next big thing

Coming at us fast

Telling us insidiously

We are not who God made

Creatures of praise

Poise and beauty

Intelligent by design

And so it goes.

A purse,

My signature piece

All my essentials in one place

Odds and ends

For writing, for reading

For paying, or using credit

For keeping in touch

A handkerchief

Tissues

Candy and gum

The sour kind, sugarless

A snack or two

No peanuts

Or ketchup

No sharp objects

Or open pens

One will irritate

My allergies grave

The other aggravate

My cravings

One causes pain

The others stain.

Hygiene items

Tucked in discretely

Personal pieces

Hidden in the seam

Placed there

Deliberately

To protect

From instant view

Ready access

In case my partner

Needs a check-in

To my psyche

That day.

If I change them

With the outfit

To mix and match

With my mood

To facilitate

The errand

The event

The season.

Their pastime

Parading past prime

Applauding the brave

Watching

Time disappears

Into a long-ass day

Featuring

Panic

Anxiety

Accomplishment

Checked boxes

Merging and mingling

My sense of style

Somewhat traditional

Leery of the fad

Choosing the classic

Yielding to comfort

Going big

Opting for tiny

Making a statement

It’s just a thing

Not my truth;

Judge me

If you must

On the merits

Of my mantras

On the heat in my tone

At the outrage du jour

Sitting on the fence

Or standing for right

Or closing my mind

To another way

To skin the cat

To view the world

Walking the tightrope

Of an era

In history

When facts are fluid

And fiction is currency

Yesterday’s norms

Today’s modes

Compete for my grip

Against my heart

Across my body

Over my shoulder

Around my waist

Bouncing with each step

Secure on my person

Hiding my stuff

As I stride through life

Holding my peace

And so it goes.