A Schopenhauer Moment

by Scott Merrill

How do we do it?

How does anyone do it?
This guy at the convenience store

every day same words
without even looking up
'hi sir how are you? Goodbye sir.'
Have a good day sir.'

nice enough guy I think, but
Swear to God
there are people out there
who say this is just the way it is,

the assholes,

what're you gonna do, it is what it is,

shit happens watcha gonna do

and that's just life.

Things aren't so bad.
But things are actually so much
worse than what most of us know how to

talk about these days.
There has to be a forgetting
a way to corale

all the stupidity and cruelty and caring
and fuck it to death.
But then what?
We wait for the next orgasm,
the next paycheck,
the next sentimental quirky stupid ragebaiting

whatever moment to post dreaming of a quiet place

in the desert where we can get right.

I'm really not trying to be miserable.

Thank you very much.