What happens after you die,
is what happened before you were born.
As it was in the beginning,
so it is in the end. […]
Surprise, surprise,
I was taking the elevator to the 9th floor
when I saw a familiar face running for the door.
It was Cupid,
and they were dressed to the nines.
I held the door, and they made it just in time.
“Thanks for holding the – oh shit,
it’s you, buddy! What the fuck is up?
I’ve been killing it lately! Spreading that love like crazy!” […]
Conversations In An Elevator
(Or: That Time Cupid Pitched A New Chain of Bars Called “Swipe Right”)
Surprise, surprise,
I was taking the elevator to the 9th floor
when I saw a familiar face running for the door.
It was Cupid ,
and they were dressed to the nines.
I held the door, and they made it just in time.
“Thanks for holding the – oh shit,
it’s you, buddy! What the fuck is up?
I’ve been killing it lately! Spreading that love like crazy!”
I laugh, ‘Oh, hey Cupid, it’s always great to see you!
I haven’t seen you since the world turned over,
…You look amazing! …And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with pants!
“Ha-ha, you know it, bro!
Fly threads for fly lives!
I’ve really blown up this time. Found the right gig!
Before I could respond, they continued:
“I’ve got this new chain of bars. It’s called Swipe Right.
“…Because everyone wins when you Swipe Right, right?!”
I laugh.
“Yeah, I get that. A chain of bars makes sense.
A bar is where I found love.’
Cupid grins and slaps me on the back,
“Exactly what I am talking about!
…Except …this club is a bit different…
“For one, when you come in the entrance
you are divided into two separate categories,
…which an advanced A.I. algorithm will decide..”
“The algorithm is designed by top experts in top fields,
and it will determine which part of the club they have access to,
platinum or premium.”
And I’m sure you’re asking yourself, what’s the difference?
Well, Platinum members get access to our Platinum rooms,
Where they can observe everyone, and enjoy our complimentary juice bar.”
And then Premium is a bit different,
In Premium you get to see everyone like you do in Platinum,
but you can also talk to whoever you want as well.”
Our complex algorithm also assigns everyone a value,
which then tries to arrange people in agreeable ways,
It is absolutely optimizing the way connections happen!
I raise an eyebrow and Cupid erupts with laughter,
They puts their arm around me and hug me close,
“Yeah, yeah, believe me, I know how it sounds…
But get this, we are already soft launched in eight major cities,
and the response has been overwhelming!
People seem to be responding to this really well.
For real. The clubs are packed, people connect and come back,
And they just keep coming back, …even if they don’t connect!
Because everyone wins when you Swipe Right, right?!”
I feel my stomach lurch and the elevator comes to a halt,
‘I’m sorry, Cupid, but this is where I have to get off,
“I wish you the best, but I have to be honest,’
‘This feels like a distillation of your worst inclinations ,
you’ve reduced the joy of uncovering a new relationship
to superficial snap judgements and AI influences.
“I hate to say it, because I know this is working out great for you,
but I don’t feel like this is the right play,
I think you can manage something better.”
I try to shake Cupid’s hand and they brush It away.,
“‘Manage something better’.
“Do you even have any idea how much ‘fuck you’ money I have?
“The amount of revenue I’ve generated off the soft launch *alone*,
Not to mention all the seed money and sponsorships,
‘Manage something better’ … fuck you.”
I go to say something and I stop,
What could I possibly say to Cupid to change their mind?
It’s clear where they are headed.
I shake my head, “My bad, Cupid, I’m sorry it shook out this way,
I hope to see you again someday” I say as the elevator doors close,
And the space between us grows further and further.
M. L. Michael
04/20/2021
Some moments deserve to be frozen in time,
and instead are lost to time, sunken far beneath the waves.
Some moments I want to hold on to forever,
and instead slip away forever, further, and further away.
Some moments I’ll still cherish anyways,
and in their stead, anyways, I’ll honor their ways. […]
Some moments deserve to be frozen in time, and instead are lost to time, sunken far beneath the waves. Some moments I want to hold on to forever, and instead slip away forever, further, and further away. Some moments I’ll still cherish anyways, and in their stead, anyways, I’ll honor their ways. M. L. Michael 04/05/21
…Today I Learned…
As far back as the 8th Century BCE, they used to write on a wax tablet.
…It was about the size of an iPad,
and they would write into the wax with a special tool called a ‘stylus’,
(the end of which could be used as an eraser, to smooth out the wax…)
…Today I Learned… As far back as the 8th Century BCE, they used to write on a wax tablet, …It was about the size of an iPad, and they would write into the wax with a special tool called a ‘stylus’, (the end of which could be used as an eraser, to smooth out the wax…) …I feel like my memory is no different at record keeping, There’s only the wax available: malleable, forgiving, …forgetful. Where I make my rudimentary marks before I quickly run out of room. Then, without hesitation, without preference, I erase down the line. ...All memories being equally created, and all memories being equally erased... 03/30/2021 M. L. Michael
So you didn’t have forever,
at least it wasn’t never,
at least there was something instead of nothing,
at least there was music instead of silence.
Remember the beginning,
how it began like a bang, […]
2020 (an exercise in acceptance) So you didn't have forever, at least it wasn't never, at least there was something instead of nothing, at least there was music instead of silence. Remember the beginning, how it began like a bang, suddenly there was something bursting forth with such ferocity that you'll forever feel it aching. Remember what was next was music, filled with breaks and rests, peaks and valleys, all adding all up to a stirring song, that will forever refill your heart to remember. So you didn't have your forever, at least it wasn't never, at least there was something instead of nothing, at least there was music instead of silence. 02-18-21 M. L. Michael
Surprise, surprise,
Cupid messaged me online.
A video chat …. 2:28 a.m…..
And there he is
– a little picture that pops up on my screen,
a request from the profile picture of a semi naked,
half feather ruffled, fully drunk fool that I am beginning to remember…[…]
Conversations Online (a chance reencounter with Cupid) Surprise, surprise, Cupid messaged me online. A video chat .... 2:28 a.m..... And there he is - a little picture that pops up on my screen, a request from the profile picture of a semi naked, half feather ruffled, fully drunk fool that I am beginning to remember... I debate accepting the message... He instant messages me and says he needs to Face Time. He says he needs to see me again, Like back at that bar, He says, please, I'm his only friend. I don't know if that is true, but I know that I've enjoyed his company, however manic-depressive it appeared to be. .....I hit accept... "Hey-hey, Cupid!", I tell him. "It's been a while! What's going on?" "Oh, dude. Dude, Is that you?! Is that really you?" He's leaning into the screen - peering at me with one eye closed, one eye half open. And I can see all of his arrows, half cocked in his quiver, ....pointing everywhere and nowhere altogether. "Yeah, Cupid, it's me from the bar, you said I was the first mortal that had paid attention to you in years." Cupid's eyes widened and he jolted back in chair, and countless arrows fell from his quiver without notice. "Woah, I knew it! Man, we had such a great talk! But then I got so wasted that I totally forgot your info. And then I saw you come up as a recommend friend, and I was like, hey! that's that dude! I know that dude!" I laugh. Because it's almost 3 am, and I can't help it. This witching hour has this nostalgia running thick; his enthusiasm is a spectacle I remember, it's intoxicating. "Yeah, of course. So how have you been man? I've been seeing you online a lot, but I've been busy doing my thing, ya know..." Cupid laughs. "Oh yeah! I'm all over the Internet now. I'm telling ya, I *love* social media. I wish I came up with that. But that's all my cuz' Apollo's doing. I wish I had thought of it and that smug bastard knows it. ....Don't even get me started." I smile, and remember why I enjoyed Cupid's company. "For sure. So what has you on at near 3 in the morning?" "I can't stop browsing these websites! And then, like I said, I saw your profile come up, and I was like, holy shit! That's the dude! That's the guy that gets me!" "I'm pretty sure you were the one getting everyone that night." I say. He laughs as he was taking a drink and spits on the screen. "Haha. I woke up the next morning with an empty quiver! Haha. Dammit. Let me clean this up." He returns with a towel and new bottle of wine. After he finishes wiping his screen, I say "You said you needed to talk, tho. That I was you're only friend?" He sits back and takes a big swig. "Yea, right, I do, and yeah, you are! Do you see what's trending right now? Dude, I'm blowing up. People can't stop talking about me!" I shake my head. "Yeah, man, and you're okay with all of that? It's almost never ending drama, your name is thrown and drug all across the muddy web. You're constantly being misrepresented. I don't think that's a good thing at all." "But it's all publicity, and no publicity is bad publicity, right?!" He laughs and takes another swig. He wipes his mouth and looks at me as seriously as one can with a half closed eyelid. "Seriously though, did you read about what happened between Person-A and Person-B? That's some Cleopatra and Marc Anthony type shit! And now, everyone is talking about me: Who loves who more? Who fell out of love first? Who did they love when they were together? It's great. I love it." He toasts himself with another swig. ...I sigh, and remember why I left Cupid's company at the bar. "You know, I wish things were different, Cupid. I miss the old you." Cupid grinned anyway and tapped his screen with his bottle, "Yeah, yeah. I miss you too...but why wish things were different? Things are fucking great now! I'm trending *all the damn time*." He takes another big swig. Out of respect, I tip my screen with my can too. "Yeah, but you're more out of control than you were at the bars, or maybe you have always been this bad, and now Apollo has just invented a tool that shows your true depth, 24/7. ....But I still believe in you, Cupid. I always will. I will always wish and push for the best of you." Then I take a long drink from my can to swallow all of that down. Cupid threw his head back and frowned. "What are you saying? That I'm not doing great? Did you not just hear me when I said 'trending all the damn time'? "Yeah. I heard you...but what does this phantasmal popularity, the sharing, the thumbs ups, and the likes, what do they gain you in anything other distorted and fleeting snapshots of your god-like power?" He soured. "More people have been talking about me than every before. You have no idea what you are talking about. Apollo, knows what I mean. I'm better than ever." I feel the late hours digging in, and weighing on my mind and my shoulders. "You know what, I don't know that Apollo would agree. Sure, you're being talked about, so much so that you've become a buzz word - a word that just buzzes in and out of the ears of so many people. Your name may be back on the lips of the masses, and written all across the web, but it is said in an unintelligible slur and written in an illiterate's scrawl." Cupid sits there. Staring at me like some stranger just came up and slapped him out of the blue. My cheeks are red. Partly from the drink, and partially because I feel bad for being so honest. Then he says. "Yeah. No. I get it. I appreciate the talk, buddy. Stay in touch." and he abruptly logs off. ....... I stare at the logged out and disconnected screen for a while. I think about waiting for him to log back on, so I can explain myself better.. But it's 3:way-too-late in the AM, and I can only reason with Cupid for so long... 12/26/15 M. L. Michael
last night I saw a documentary
about an ice sculptor from far up north,
a nondescript fellow that created art
from that which is too cold
to be held on to for too long.[…]
this too will melt last night I saw a documentary about an ice sculptor from far up north, a nondescript fellow that created art from that which is too cold to be held on to for too long. for years before and, surely, for years to follow, he carved out what he saw with closed eyes and open ideas, he etched out what he felt with a searching heart, ...all from cold's jealous grip. on this particular day, he created a dragon that burst from the ice - ready to challenge the hero of the story, he created a sword, to pull from an azure stone - ready to give strength to the willful, and he created a rose, with all the wrinkles of a rich life - ready to reward the resilient. he would spend all day creating these unique totems, then he would abandon them outside and go off to bed, bone tired, knowing well that tomorrow they will melt, they will fade away, nearly towards never, ...and that all of this only adds to their value... they say his sleep is worth millions. he refuses to put a price on it. -M. L. Michael- -2.18.14-
silence is ugly.
noise is golden.
silence is stagnant,
a break in beat.
silence is still,
the lack of life,
the wane of will.[…]
silence is ugly. noise is golden. silence is stagnant, a break in beat. silence is still, the lack of life, the wane of will. for silence speaks only of nothing, and the weight of our knowledge of the constant expanding space. noise is nourishing, a reaction against removal. noise is knowing, the celebration of creation, the glee of growing. for noise knows nothing of nothing, and sends notes like bottles out into the constant expanding space. M, L. Michael 11.18.13
In a bar anywhere, Evan and Elle met for drinks.
This was an anniversary of sorts, a ritual of others,
at whatever bar of wherever-where,
they began sharing observations.[…]
Conversations at the Bar (Evan and Elle met for drinks) In a bar anywhere, Evan and Elle met for drinks. This was an anniversary of sorts, a ritual of others, at whatever bar of wherever-where, they began sharing observations. Elle spoke first. “On the way here I saw two muggings, one assault, and four separate occasions of people shooting up in the streets.” Evan shook their head. “That’s a shame. I saw a kid help an elderly man cross the street. You should have seen the looks on their faces. The man was stoic, yet tender. The kid was proud and beaming.” Elle gave a snort. “That’s nice. Hey, did you happen to catch the news? They’re thinking about going to war with Syria. Iran is threatening to attack Isreal if we do. More shit keeps coming out about the NSA. Nothing is private anymore. Everyone’s nastiness is out in the open.” Evan sighed and nodded. “So I’ve heard. Did you hear that scientists have used gene therapy to repair heart cells? And they found a way to convert stem cells into immune cells that attack and kill cancer. Cancer, freaking cancer. Isn’t that amazing?” Elle shrugged. ”I don’t see the point. Everyone’s eating themselves and each other alive out there. I see it in the streets; I see it on the news. It’s happening here; it’s happening on the other side of the globe.” Evan nodded. “I see the point everywhere. The point is everything. It’s selfish and it’s celebratory. It does well by everyone involved.” Elle nodded slowly. ”I just don’t see it that way, you know that. In fact, why do we keep having this conversation? Year after year after year. Nothing ever changes.” Evan took a long and thoughtful drink. He looked up at Elle, smiled, and gave them a one armed hug. “C’mon, you don’t know that for sure. Now drink up. The next one’s on me.” 8.28.13 M. L. Michael
As I grow older, I need my glasses,
so I can marvel at the pinpoints of millennia on the blue-black sky,
and recognize the glimmers of galaxies in a stranger’s eyes.
so I can understand the reasons of nature on the evolutionary sly,
and admire the poignancy of forever in the sunset’s goodbyes.
As I grow older, I need my glasses in order to see why.
As I grow older, I need my glasses, so I can marvel at the pinpoints of millennia on the blue-black sky, and recognize the glimmers of galaxies in a stranger's eyes. so I can understand the reasons of nature on the evolutionary sly, and admire the poignancy of forever in the sunset's goodbyes. As I grow older, I need my glasses in order to see why. -07-23-12- M. L. Michael
Every Breath Poetic 