Dmitri love commercial. Especially
love they are called “message” –
worthy of Pravda genius, that word.
Here is best one yet. First see old man,
maybe age of Dmitri, but not so handsome,
few strings rat gray hair, days of dirty silver stubble,
sick rodent eyes behind thick glasses.
To complete picture, only missing t-shirt saying
“Pederast and Proud Of It.” Girl approach
this vile creature. She has usual these days
metal rings hanging from face parts,
black, not-washèd hair, lipstick color dry blood.
“Do you have something I like to read?” she say.
“What like?” inquire pederast. “Have Homer’s Odyssey
in original Greek?” she ask, and pederast quick reply,
“Attic, Doric or Ionic?”
Girl drop jaw to indicate condition stunnèd, say
“How is that possible?” “I have every book
in every language in every edition ever publish,”
say nasty geezer with smug mouth.
Then some logo for some digital thing appear,
and voice say something about company.
Like many message, this leave Dmitri in dark
what he suppose to buy. Not Homer, surely.
But of course Dmitri get real message clear and loud.
Is Information Age. All knowledge instantly
available – oh, sound most heavenly choir of angel,
for we are savèd. All is known.
No crock big enough yet fashion for such idea.
This dull-eyed, dirty girl, she would not comprehend Odyssey
in any language, for even Homer say that even smartest man
must travel far, pay much to understand.
