record

record
lp
33 1/3
wax
platter
vinyl
you are a little more effort
than the forms of listening
that followed
sometimes you
scratch
but
you satisfy
sensationally
so much of the time
you are worth the effort
i clean you
i watch you
spin around the turntable
i read your notes
and look at your cover
and finally
when i am finished
i file you away
yes, you take up space
but so do clothes
and food
and the house
you live in
but, of course
the inventions continued
first, the cd
which is good
in its way
it's smaller
more compact (no pun intended)
and all the music
is on one side
but, it is a little
less human
and a little
more like
a machine
you don't see them
spinning around
and they don't scratch
they skip
creating a sound
that is
merely silly
but eventually i built
a collection of compact discs
they didn't replace my records
but they did help me
get hip to mobley
and quebec
and sonny clark
and so many others
hundreds of cd's later
they have created the ipod
now, they have eliminated
the element of space
entirely
all effort has been erased
now, we are enclosed
within pristine, headphoned walls
the people no longer browse in record shops
they no longer leave the house and
engage the earth
they no longer rap about
various recordings with their
fellow fanatics
they no longer linger and learn from others
like themselves, who have skipped food
for that fantastic feeling
that only fine music can bring
they have eliminated
the hassle
that is humanity
that is the multiplicity
of man and woman
and replaced it
with the pornographic essentials
of penis and pussy
progress my ass
i'll take the feeling of pleasure
that comes from obsolete things
i'll continue to carry on
the rapture that is
listening to
records