duration

a buzz of one second's duration.
someone at the entrance. yu
dont answer. yu sit on a
sofa woven from one hundred %
irradiated materials. the enter-
tainment screen is a copy of the
internet in yr retina. the enter-
tainment screen is the 4 walls
of yr condominium. yr condominium
is on the eleven thousand one
hundred eleventh floor. the view
would be splendid if there were
windows. yu think, yu should
file a complaint that there are
no windows. yu dont. yu
sip synthesized wine. the vintage
is five minutes ago. it was a
good minute. a buzz of one second's
duration. yu dont answer. it
could be a stranger, there have been
rumours of strangers. or perhaps yr
wife. yu cant remember if yu are
married. yu dont answer.
yu have forgotten how to speak.
yr lungs are nylon and easily
washable. yr teeth are pixels.
yu feel boredom of one second's
duration. a pop tune responds. it is
an instant hit. five minutes later
the news anchor refers to it as a
classic. the news anchor is the
country's official historian. history
is the space between commercials.
the spaces average one second's
duration. yu decide to buy.
yu double click an eyelash. the
product arrives between commercials.
five minutes later it is an
antique. yu will require an appraisal.
the appraisal arrives with dinner.
dinner is the statistical mean. yu
gain virtual weight. within five minutes
yu virtually lose it. it is
time for the daily movie. the movie
is sanctioned by someone. yu are
the screenwriter. yu watch yrself
watching, yu shed an obsolete tear.
evening is splintering. no buzz,
no one at the entrance. no windows,
no view. yu ache. yu reach.

weed and pebble rise to meet you,
you sleep, watch the turning of
wind through rain. the nations
starve. yr dream is of
one second's duration.

© Robert Martens