the ruins of centuries
lie about us like stories
in a retirement center
bits of disconnected
narrative exchanged with tea
flattened to equivalency
before folded to fit snug
in pockets of cultural reference
or hieroglyphs constellated
upon an allusive discourse
like jazz riffs on pop songs
we play upon our clichés
to fissure otherwise strange
totalities’ crushing silence
(July 2012)
subtext 