I Didn’t Ask For This

What’s got me all antsy, anyway?
In an age when I can explain away
any question to enough satisfaction for today,
what keeps restlessness turning over in my chest?

The meaning of life?
The human mind?
Greatness?
Love?
The afterlife?

There’s psychological, biological, theological,
dualistic, mechanistic, mutualistic, humanistic
explanations for them all!

Could it be we’ve invented so many answers
that we’ve caged ourselves in with them?
That the un-scratchable restlessness
is lust for an un-answerable question?

There must be a question that no one’s ever asked,
a situation lacking all precedent or wisdom,
a wild freedom flowing from who-the-hell-knows.

(312) 924-9818

Hello, good evening, and happy Tuesday. You’ve reached Walter’s phone, which should be no surprise, but it never hurts to double check. I will not be taking your call right now, so please consider leaving a message.

In case today is your first time leaving someone a message, my friends at the phone company have recorded a brief introduction to voicemail which will advise you on how to proceed. Please listen carefully.

I will listen to your message soon. Unless I see you before I have the chance to do so, in which case we should catch up in person.

Who’s taking attendance? WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THIS PLACE??

I am, said a young woman in a business suit. She peered down at us through nouvelle-chic glasses and raised an eyebrow.

You didn’t think a responsibility like that would be entrusted to anyone else, did you?

We didn’t.

Actually there have been many seven billionth persons, she continued. Last week one was born but the Syrian conflicts killed two hundred, bringing us back under. Hours later, a new seven billionth popped out. In Ecuador. A new war could set us back months. But it doesn’t really matter.

We stood, holding our popsicles, ignoring the juice running through our fingers.