The first lines of the poem were not
the first lines written.
In 1989, the first lines of the poem
were formed but they took over three decades
to make their way to the surface.
The poem was written instead of an email.
(The email was still written.)
A list of things the poem is not: a hot air
balloon, mulch, PPE, a 32oz fountain drink.
A solution. Medicine. “Essential.” Profitable. Insular.
A grocery list. A war. An armistice. A headline
repeated, repeating, repeatable.
A list of the things the poem is: reflexive, self-aware,
commentary, sarcastic in its earnestness, heard (not spoken),
spoken (not heard), atoms, 1s and 0s, political,
hopeful, messy. Compatible with most major technology
platforms. A grocery list. A plea. A joke. A reminder.
*Multiple items moved between the list of things the poem is
and the list of things it is not throughout the writing of this poem.
Between the creation of the poem and its publication
a lot of things happened that the reader should still
hold the poem accountable to.
Between the creation of time and the publication
of the poem a greater number of things happened.
It is what it is. The poem fondly remembers
events from earlier that day. The poet would have
otherwise forgotten his promise to call his sister back.
The sunlight, despite the desperation with which it
made its way into every window and seam of the home
that morning, serves no special purpose to the poem.
The poem was written as a response
to it not being written.