Dear Readers,
Bea and I had some leads now so we went back down to the ground floor of the library.
I asked her could I borrow her car and she said no and asked if I even had a licence. I said nope, that I had no licence, no credit cards, I didn't believe in money... and she butted in and said I just believed in other people's cars and money. I just replied that I didn't choose to be born into this society. She paused for a moment.
She said that she had, you know, a job, so she couldn't be driving me to all these spots, except for the graveyard. She had to go there anyway. I said that was cool and I'll see if Gregg wanted to do the other two.
Bea said that just because something happened in the past, doesn't mean it'll happen again. I harrumphed and asked her if she ever heard that history repeats over and over again. She came back with asking if we had been in a loop ever since we were living in caves and I said yeah, that it was science! She groaned.
We walked outwards and came across Selmers! She was with Ms. Quelcy and the guy who recites poems in the tunnel! Bea and I hadn't seen Ms Quelcy since graduation. Bea said Ms. Quelcy was like some kind of art teacher survivalist because the school district didn't fund the art programme at all. I had no idea and was amazed. Bea said she thinks they pay her in bits of string and empty soda cans.
Ms. Quelcy thanked Selmers and the tunnel poet for coming to the second meeting of the Possum Springs Poetry Society. Bea asked if I wanted to stick around for this and I said "Yeah!". I hopped up on the front desk like it was the kitchen counter at home.
Some piano music started playing and we listened in on the meeting. "Fisherman" Jones became tunnel poet's name and Selmers' full name came up as Selma Ann Forrester. I asked Bea "They don't actually pay her in string, right?". She replied they did sarcastically and I said I was just joking.
Ms. Quelcy began her poem: "Letter To My Worst Student - To my worst student; the subject of my stories; I tell friends back home; when they ask about life; out here in the sticks; it's you. I worry; at the end of my life; you will be the only one I remember; why did; you key; my car; I know; it was; you; Brian.
"Poor Ms. Quelcy." I said. Bea said at least she was blowing off some steam.
"Fisherman" Jones was up next. "Tunnel Eels" was the name of his poem. He recited: "Tunnel Eels, Tunnel Eels; I do not know how it feels; to be in darkness all the time; born in muck and raised in slime; but neither d'you know paths I've trudged; so it hardly is your place to judge." He got no reaction, so he moved on to the next poem, "Tunnel Frogs". He recited: "Tunnel frog swims in the dark; must think it would be a lark; to be a fisherman like me; but what do you know, amphibee'?" Again he got no reaction, so he said that was it. Ms. Quincy said it was great and thanked him. I said "He definitely talks to the actual fish." and Bea said he most definitely does.
Next up was Selmers. I said yay! and she thanked me. Bea asked if I knew her and I said that Selmers was like her neighbour! I said she writes these really funny dorky short poems. Bea was up for something short and funny so we listened. We weren't expecting what was to come...
Selmers' poem was called "There's No Reception In Possum Springs". I laughed because it rang so true and Bea said she wasn't wrong. Then the music stopped and Selmers started reciting:
"No reception here; I wave my black phone; in the air like a flare like a prayer but no reception; I read on the internet baby face boy billionaire; phone app sold made more money in one day than my family over 100 generations; more than my whole world ever has; world where house-buying jobs became rent-paying jobs became living with family jobs; boy billionaires; money is access access to politicians waiting for us to die lead in our water alcohol and painkillers; replace my job with an app replace my dreams of a house and a yard; with a couch in the basement; "The future is yours!"; forced 24-7 entrepreneurs. I just want a paycheck and my own life; I'm on the couch in the basement they're in the house and the yard; some night I will catch a bus out to the west coast; and burn their silicon city to the ground"
There was a pause. Bea finally said "Holy s#!t" and I was like WOW... Bea noted she rhymed "entrepreneur" and I just said I didn't even know what that word meant. Selmers thanked us. Bea asked if she was always like this and I said no and... just wow. Ms. Quelcy thanked everyone for coming and said she'll see everyone in two weeks. I called out to Selmers and told her I liked her weird poem! She thanked me, saying she wrote it herself! I called her Smellmer and she called back that she didn't like that nickname! Bea was bea-wildered. I called out that I was sorry and Selmers called back saying it was cool! Bea asked if we could go now, so we did.
So yeah... wow what a poem! Powerful stuff! I can imagine Selmers and Bea and the rest of us banding together to save our futures! I don't mean we'll literally burn something down! Just wanna say that! I'm just saying we gotta do something to save our futures...
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