time was a thing

(v.2)



thank the peaceful

quiet



girl and dog

lying quietly upon cushions

in the top rooms



me here

under lights

in the cellar pit



hum of CPU

as the TV mutely plays



the world's going to Hell

so any clarity of mind

is precious reckoning



renegade markings

of dust covered insanity

fuels the lives



of innumerable mannequins

invisibly sequestered

here with me



8 feet under

the earth in

this carpeted clearing



drywall abode

cool and dry

as these figurines



glass beings

plainly bearing

their stripes



attendant only

upon my need

to discern



orchestral movie music

floods

the stairwell



a horrible TV show

plays out

where my sleeping girl rests



the dog's not barking now

perhaps he won't

for a while



he wouldn't settle

down tonight

nor do I want to



pausing in typing

I turn to the mute TV

where I learn in bold font:



BUSH HITS THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL



yet here is some substance

even horrible TV shows

can't quite quell



their volume seeps past me



these mannequins

implacable

do not care