RPM
—For EGA

 
The couple next to me in CVS talk Bitcoin.
This is so far from my reality, it would
be redundant to laugh. I wear grey sweatpants

from a bygone era, my glasses are crooked,
and I haven’t bothered to trim my nose hairs.
I’m thinking of getting the latest Stones album

on vinyl. Though my fragile LPs are analog.
Streaming music is digital. My Pioneer
PL-50 turntable is my age, so I may need

to replace the stylus. (I’m talking about a needle,
not a tablet accessory.) Regarding the indie
music scene, Kurt Cobain said, “Let them eat vinyl.”

I don’t mind if you think LPs are for hipsters
and old folks. More for me. My attention span
is large enough to listen to an entire

album side at a time. I don’t want to go
to a concert and see some guy turn on a laptop.
Put your sterilized, overproduced modern

music in a bong and smoke it. Life has
the occasional pop and hiss. Gimmie danger
and distortion! Which aisle is the Metamucil on?