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I CANNOT SPEAK TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES / THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES / THESE UNSTABLE TIMES / OR ANY OF THE SYNONYMS FOR LIFE-ALTERING THAT I MAY HAVE USED WHEN EMAILING YOU //

TO BE HONEST / EVEN ON THE MORNINGS WHEN I AM CONTENT WITH THE SIMPLE GIFT OF NESCAFE / AND A NICE BOOK / I CAN BARELY MUSTER ANYTHING APPROXIMATING THE GRANDEUR OF THE FEELINGS I WAS ONCE KNOWN FOR

BUT AS INA GARTEN ONCE SAID / IF YOU CAN’T MAKE YOUR OWN SEROTONIN / STORE-BOUGHT IS FINE // AND SO CARLY RAE JEPSEN DOES IT FOR ME / AND CUTS STRAIGHT TO THE FUCKING FEELING / DEPOSITS MY HEART BACK INTO THE BASEMENT OF SOMEONE I LOVE AND RUNS AWAY WITH IT / TWIRLS ME AROUND MY KITCHEN WHILE THE MEATBALLS BROWN / WHILE THE TOMATO SAUCE SIMMERS / SAYS ANY FLOOR IS A DANCE FLOOR IF YOU BELIEVE IN IT / SAYS CELEBRATE / WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS EMOTION / SAYS I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU DESERTED ON YOUR ISLAND OF THE EVER-PRESENT / THIS, IS THE KINGDOM OF OUR DESIRE / GAZE UPON ITS MAJESTY / IT’S A PARTY NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE / YOU ARE IN THE CENTER OF EVERY DANCE CIRCLE / AND THE DJ IS TAKING YOUR REQUESTS ALL NIGHT LONG

WE LIVE IN THE DOT BALANCED IN THE MIDDLE OF E •MO•TION / BEHOLD OUR ENDLESS STRING OF TOMORROWS / YOU TOO, CAN BE HAPPY NOT KNOWING / I MEAN, YOU’D BETTER BE / THERE IS NO FUTURE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE PRESENT / I WILL TRANSFIGURE YOUR ENDLESS DISTANCES / COUPLED WITH / YOUR LACK THEREOF /

I KNOW YOUR HOUSE IS GROWING SMALLER EVERY DAY / SO THROW UP THE LUSH LIGHT OF POP / AND MAKE THE MOST OF EACH AND EVERY NIGHT / YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME THAT THE SODA BUBBLES OF YOUR HEART HAVE FALLEN FLAT / I KNOW THE DEEP WELLS OF EBULLIENCE THAT LIVE INSIDE YOU / I NOURISHED THEM LONG AGO FOR TIMES LIKE THESE / THERE ARE NO RUNS AT THE SUPERMARKET ON YEARNING / DON’T YOU KNOW THAT SCARCITY IS A MYTH PROPAGATED BY LESSER MEN / I KNOW YOU STILL PRAY AT THE ALTAR OF TOO MUCH & NOT ENOUGH / THAT YOU BAPTIZED YOUR WANT IN BUBBLE GUM SYNTH / IN PINK WINE AND DANCE FLOOR SHEEN AND TUBE TOPS OFF THE CLEARANCE RACK / I WILL CARRY YOU UNTIL YOU CAN HOLD AND BE HELD AGAIN /

AND SO HERE WE ARE / SCALDING THE ROOFS OF OUR MOUTHS ON UNEVENLY REHEATED LEFTOVERS / BACK PRESSED UP TO THE REFRIGERATOR / THE CLOSEST I WILL GET TO APPROXIMATING THE INTIMACY OF A CROWD FOR MONTHS / AND WHEN THE SMOOTHEST SAX KNOWN TO THE EARS OF HUMANKIND COMES ON AT THE TOP OF RUN AWAY WITH ME / I TURN IT UP / I PLAY IT LOUD / AND I DANCE BEFORE THE WATER ON THE STOVE TOP BOILS OVER

Annie Yan

IRENE VáZQUEZ