the moment’s been deflated and looks like
it’s been kicked in the face one too (two) many times,
while a french woman in an abaya smokes in the corner,
providing unnecessary, yet relevant commentary
in a language that seems strangely familiar,
though no one really tunes in,
glazed over nakedness holding in a breath
filled with nitrous oxide
there’s a brand logo that i’m unfamiliar with,
that looks like a tiger attacking a bear,
or maybe the other way around, i dunno,
but i’m not sure what the logo is trying to convey,
though it makes me feel as if the sharp, wild teeth of the two animals
will at any moment rip my flesh to pieces,
my body an abstract viscera ripped asunder, limber and awkward mush
splayed every which way,
for wild animals to make a meal of, though i don’t think i would
taste all that well,
but that might just be my low self-esteem talking,
rather than the meaning of the logo
i like to discover new music,
but not too quickly,
or otherwise, the experience is too disorienting,
i start to listen to the newly discovered artist or band
over and over,
my ears might begin to bleed, and i memorize all their songs,
even the ones they didn’t want me to hear,
and i start singing and humming my favorite in the shower
or while at work,
until the new music is no longer new,
and because it is old i grow to hate it,
despise every note, rhythm, and instrument,
but that never seems to matter too much,
since there’s always new music to unveil,
as the rotation continues,
the algorithm sheds light
Fred Aiken Writing 