Brunching Whilst the New Rome Burns

oh, these [neo]liberals
they love to be seen,
what’s the point of excess everything
if you ain’t seen by The Peers™️ or The Poors™️



they tell us we are unfortunates or degenerates, ambitionless, uneducated, lazy: we, mere mothers, workers, poors, caregivers, included with “the deplorables” — lumped together in the unmelting trash pot of America

“our” consumption has created islands of plastic in the Pacific ocean
and the dunes of clothing in the Chilean desert
our thoughtless, lowbrow Walmart and Target tastes,
our holiday shopping, and aspirational Disney World, Pigeon Forge, or Vegas vacations — our rare and short-lived “joy” until the credit card is full and the bill arrives / we don’t get to savor the memories — our joy quickly mutates into anxiety, over-time hours, debt, pain

whilst every single day — is their windfall, every day is their holiday,

their screens open to the financial page bookmarks first thing in the morning followed by local crime, never white-collared, though — never to poverty, hunger, oppression, genocide:

Continue reading “Brunching Whilst the New Rome Burns”

They are the O’Kneels


1 ain’t dumb
+ 1 ain’t dumb
= 0 authentic lives


“seeking intellectual stimulation and companionship in Chicago”

a profile headline for a dating site, August 2008


and they’ve never pretended harder,
to be happier,
in their marriage,

than they are right now

“she ain’t dumb.” said, the Mr.

“he ain’t dumb.” said, the Mrs.

silently, renewing those practical vows,

but

2 “ain’t dumbs” will never add up to

1 authentic life

what their calculus hath joined together,

let no verdant, regent 𝕮𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖊 put asunder,

let us now re-pronounce them:

the O’Kneels

Continue reading “They are the O’Kneels”

clinician

she’ll never forget
how as her heart was breaking
he went to see a foreign film in the suburbs with his family
the next day, he proceeded to inform her about Korean film and
K-pop — like an old man who was just hearing about it for the first time in 2022,
like someone who never knew anyone and who traveled to Korea, for a semester abroad or to teach English, or anything, despite his worldliness and AAdvantages,
like someone who never heard
of BTS, their Map of The Soul,
or Carl Jung’s
it was then she realized how
ignorant and insular,
and Lechter-like he was

he collected things and ate people to feed his ego,

and she was a fucking feast

his heart rate never rose the whole time

Continue reading “clinician”