Suggested Listening: The 1963 Monk’s Dream album by Theolonious Monk Quartet
This is more of a performance piece, so read it out loud slow and with vitality, especially if you’re a Philly kid. I wrote it for a July 4th reading that METROPOLARITY was doing with Kimya Dawson in 2018, scribbled in pencil in my notebook and untranscribed for years. Like most things I end up writing for performance line-ups, my hometown city of Philadelphia is a prominent character.
WHEN THE LIGHTS WON’T COME ON
THE ENDLESS STREAM STOPS
THE FEED ADDICTION—
THERE WAS A SOLAR FLARE?
YO THE ALEXA JAWN GOT CO-OPTED BY HACKERS AND THEN SELF-DESTRUCTED THE INTERNET!
THE SERVER FARMS ARE BURNING!
THE BACKUPS ARE FAILING!
CASH WON’T EVEN COME OUT THE MACHINES RIGHT NOW
EVERYONE’S STARING THEIR NEIGHBORS IN THE FACE LIKE OH SHIT
I STOPPED WRITING PEOPLE’S PHONE NUMBERS DOWN IN 2012
HAH! WELL, HARDLY ANYONE HAS A DAMN LANDLINE PHONE ANYMORE ANYWAY
IT’S A THUNDERSTORM COMING
MY ROOF’S GOT A LEAK IN IT
DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT DINNER TONIGHT—
CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES ALL SOLD OUT AND THE MEAT’S GOING BAD
SUBWAY NOT RUNNING
WHEELY CREWS AND CONCRETE COWBOYS AND BLACK BIKER CLUBS AND
CRASHED CARS EVERYWHERE
ROADS CLOG FAST
WATER PLUGS OPEN
ARTISANAL GOURMET ICE CREAM BBQ MARSHMALLOW BOUTIQUE CHOCOLATES BANANA WHIPS COFFEE BEANS
GONE!
OWNERS LEFT THE CITY TO CLAIM INSURANCE.
FIGHTS IN THE STREET BETWEEN THAT’S NOT YOUR PROPERTY!! GANGS AND KIDS WEARING ‘MAKE AMERICA AN ENDLESS EXPANSE OF OLD GROWTH FORESTS WITH NO CERTAIN BORDERS AGAIN’ SHIRTS
SO THE EL’S REALLY NOT RUNNING, HUH?
AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN
PRETZELS EVERYWHERE
DUDES SELLING CHAIN STACKS OF THEM FROM GROCERY CARTS LIKE ITS 1993 ON PENNSLANDING
LIKE THE DEPRESSION LIKE NEW YEAR’S DAY
AND WITH NOTHING RUNNING (EVERYTHING WITH A CHIP IN IT, MAN!) THE TURKEY VULTURES FROM THE BURBS MAKE IT INTO THE 215 CARRION SCENE, AND THE GRILLMASTERS REJOICE
CREWS OUT ROCKING GLOWSTICKS
CRANK FLASHLIGHTS FRICTION HEADLIGHTS AND NOOOOOOOO
POPO
POLICE
PIGS (AN INSULT TO PIGS, LET’S BE REAL)
MILITARY NATIONAL GUARD
BUT YOU DEFINITELY HEARING GUN SHOTS STILL
IT’S BEEN A COUPLE DAYS
AND YOUR ALWAYS-WEARING-OUTDOORS-BRANDS SOFT JAWED TRANSPLANT NEIGHBOR LIVING IN A WHOLE 3 STORY VICTORIAN WITH JUST HIS WIFE HAS PUT UP SIGNS ON THE TELEPHONE POLES ANNOUNCING AN OFFLINE THINKPIECE CIRCLE TO WRAP THEIR MINDS AROUND THE CURRENT STATE OF UNPRECEDENTED AFFAIRS
WAS IT THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL OR SOME WHOLE OTHER BULLSHIT?
WHAT TO KEEP & WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND.
YOU THINK SHIT MIGHT GET CRAZY REAL FAST BUT THAT’S CAUSE OF THE MEDIA, YOU REALIZE. IS IT GONNA BE THE PURGE IF EVERYONE’S JUST MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
SOME PEOPLE ARE PRAYING
SOME PEOPLE ARE RIDING
SOME PEOPLE ARE TREKKING INTO THE WOODS
WALKING TRAIN TRACKS
SOME PEOPLE ARE IN THE PHARMACIES GETTING THEIR MEDS FOR FREE
SOME PEOPLE ARE EATING CHIPS AND STOCKPILED TOP RAMEN
SOME PEOPLE ARE IN DRUM CIRCLES WHILE ROLLER DISCO OLD HEADS AND UP & COMING QUEENS REJOICE TO THE BEAT
SOME PEOPLE KEEP PLUGGING THEIR PHONE CHARGER IN TO SEE IF ANYTHING COMES OUT YET.
NO ONE COMES INTO THE CITY.
THE COLONIZE MARS PLANS MUST BE ON PAUSE.
DRUMS ARE IN COMPUTERS ARE OUT
HOT WATER IS OUT
SOME TEEN ENGINEERS BY WEST PHILLY HIGH WHIP TOGETHER THIS JAWN THAT CAN GENERATE PROFOUND ENERGY THROUGH MECHANICAL EXERTION? BY WALKING ON THE JAWN
AND NEXT THING THEY’RE GETTING HAM RADIO TRANSMISSIONS LIKE IT’S LIKE THIS ALL OVER
A MAGNIFICENT CREW OF LEATHER VEST WEARING NOT-MEN RIDING HORSEBACK START UP ROUNDS THAT PASS YOUR BLOCK
ONE OF THEM TELLS YOU IN A KIND VOICE TO TELL THEM
IF ANY BULLSHIT BEYOND YOU CAN’T HANDLE STARTS GOIN DOWN, GIVE US A SHOUT
THE BACK OF THEIR VESTS ALL SAY
‘SO BE IT
SEE TO IT’
IT’S BEEN A FEW DAYS
THE POWER’S STILL OUT
SIGNAL’S LOST—
IT’S A STORM COMING
CLOGGED DRAINS REVEAL BURIED CREEKS
RIVERS RUSHING
EVERYONE WHO MOVED HERE OR BEEN LIVING HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT LOUD MUSIC SCARY NEIGHBORS DIRTY STOOPS AND HOW THERE’S A HOMELESS WOMAN ASKING ME FOR MONEY OUTSIDE THE GROCERY STORE
START LEAVING
DISAPPEARING
WE FORGET THE NAME OF THE CITY
WE FORGET THE NAME OF THE CITY
THE COLLEGE DORMS
THE CORPORATE CAMPUSES
THE COURTS THOSE CONDOS
TOXIC SCHOOLS
DETENTION CENTERS
PRECINCTS AND PSYCH WARDS
ARE CRUMBLING
LIKE THEY BEEN EMPTY FOR DECADES
LEAVING
JUST US