late night television used to
be old movies, should’ve been
forgotten musical westerns
other black-and-white obscurities
followed by the national anthem
then mystical test patterns;
funky geometric designs
with a channel number and
odd, monotonous dulcet tones
for peaceful slumber white noise
now people pontificate at all hours;
exhortations for insomniacs on
how to remain wide-awake
with gadgets to chop slice cook food
preachers selling salvation and DVDs,
miracle cures for bald people who
can’t perform sexually losing weight
by drinking shakes delivered to your
door via FedEx in a different box
from the exercise device that is yours
for only three credit card payments
and you can hang dirty clothes on it
after you use it twice but they often
don’t mention that in the thirty
minutes they paid for to talk about
why you should turn your mortgage
backwards and how celebrity insurance
salesmen will be of great comfort
with a check when your spouse dies
and I’ll be damned if I can find a good
test pattern when I really need one.
Ponderable polemics, poetic 