My Brightness Button

On the airplane I own I need you

to behave, and not like a moth

happening upon its first caterpillar—

really, what an important moment.

Knowing the cartoon of my airplane

is creeping imperceptibly across maps

on tiny screens on the backs

of the passengers’ seats makes

me feel pretty famous, famous

as a rare but relevant moth. I wish

I knew all the money I have

by heart. I like to hear my voice

on the speakers, reminding everyone

that I am owner of this immaculate

silver monster and that we are so

much higher than the orange

lights of the cities spreading like

crushed spiders across the globe.

There’s an avenue down there

in Irondequoit that I want someone

to write a musical about so we can

all parachute down to Irondequoit

and see it together. The flight

attendants have completed

their essays and they’re pretty

good. In fact they’re perfect

but I’m correcting them anyway;

I like to delete and close things up.