Lost In the Afterglow of the Beginning of The Universe

We find our humanity in television static.

Where millions of signals jumble in the air,

sizzling and popping as millions of voices mix.

A noise which makes most cringe and block their ears.

But within that chaos somewhere there is the weather forecast,

the electromagnetic waves from Jupiter,

the celebrities on SNL,

and reruns of my mother’s favorite cartoon.

The amalgamation of all these busy signals

could not be more human.

Each one clamoring to be heard.

Each one with their own story.

Sometimes I stare at the colored bars

and wonder where I am in the mess.

My signal feels fuzzy and sporadic.

drowned in the peaks and valleys.

The User Manuel neglects to warn us about

how disorienting it is to be part of something bigger than yourself.

So we don’t blame ourselves for shying away,

scrambling to tune the knob.

#2023