Tuesday poem #251 : Stephanie Gray : Go under the surface she said (surfacing under)(under surfacing)

but don't go too deep, but don't go too shallow, but don't go too "pizzazz", but don't go too "now", but don't go to "then", but maybe? (thanks other music) but don't go too "tomorrow", but don't go too you know, all "pop-culture-y", but don't go too butch, but don't go too femme, (but go how?), but don't go too 80s, but don't go so low as Eddie Vedder did in the 90s, but don't go all Facebook-y, but don't go all Twitterverse, (but remember our universe), but don't go all moonshot, but don't go too "middle of the road", but don't go all "chattering class" but don't go all millennial plus Gen Y, but don't go all, you know, Gen X cold and suspect, but don't go all corporate, but don't go all non-profit-y, but don't go all Bloomberg, but don't go all NYPost-headline-y, but don't go out the way Gawker did, but don't go all, you know, "I'm not giving you the time of day", but don't go all smartphoney, maybe be more flip-phone-y, remember to go more Metallica and not Megadeth-y, (you know why), but don't go all "I'm being nice to you just cuz i want something from you", but don't go all artisinal, but don't go all fast food, but don't go all slow food-y, but don't go all "so much depends upon a red.." um, never mind. and don't go all, that was a nirvana-cobain reference (cuz it wasn't) but don't go the way of you know, the hoverboard set, (and don't go overboard), but don't go all watergate, (but maybe go whitewater), but don't go all "just because of what bill did doesn't mean you can't vote for hillary", but don't go all Sanders is a socialist, but don't go all it's 3 men in a room (and he’s one of ‘em), but don't go all Albany is broken-y, but don't go all "Whole Food-y Paycheck-y", but don't go all ParkSlopeFoodCo-op-y, but don't go all hipsterization, but don’t go all globalization (for the dock workers, god bless), but don’t go all red hook is all Ikea-ed out now, but don’t go too under, but don’t go too over, but don't go all “there's nothing left here", but don’t go all “I hear ya”, but don’t go all “here’s something for ya”, but don't go all “we lost the neighborhood', but you should, you know, stick around, ok? don't go.

Poet-filmmaker Stephanie Gray's most recent book and chapbook are Shorthand and Electric Language Stars (Portable Press at Yo-Yo Labs, 2015) and A Country Road Going Back in Your Direction (Argos Books, 2015). Her super 8 films and screened internationally. Recent flash fictionwork is in the May 2017 issue of the Brooklyn Rail.  Work also appears in the anthology How Lovely the Ruins (Spiegel & Grau) in October 2017.

(image: film still from Someday Behind Coney Island, super 8 film, 2011)

The Tuesday poem is curated by rob mclennan.