Posted in Passages

Obsolescence

Posted on by tq1695

It was always busy, especially on Friday and Saturday nights
a kind of, camaraderie of browsing
and certainty –
in and out literally for some,
others taking time.
The staff were knowledgeable and friendly
a mixture of enthusiasts, anoraks, part-timers
and David – resident expert, who really did know everything –
everything about film –
making good recommendations and astute cautions
– yes, you’ll like that… no it’s not for you.
He just seemed to know what someone would and wouldn’t like.

Be adaptable and smart say the marketing gurus.
They were – for 25 years
shifting from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray
with clever pricing and first-rate catalogue
until cable and Netflix.

It’s gone now, a café and bakery eviscerated
then painted over memory. Nothing remains,
where did they go?
What happened to David and his rare talent?

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Author:

Most of my life has been spent on the bench, occasionally called into the game by extravagance or attenuation. Waiting has turned a loner into a recorder - nondescript and inconsequential, more not noticed than overlooked - the non-vantage point of children not yet considered old enough to understand. Orphaned Islands (Un)poetry is a lifetime of picking anecdotes up and not throwing them away. Stories collected like odds and ends placed in a box in the basement, the garage, the garden shed - uncertain as to what their use might be but knowing that one day there might be one.