What bothers you?

[Fruitfly]

..that I am the age that people say "over the hill."

...that the number is an absolute, metaphysical truth.
It is as God, omniscent, omnipresent, omnipotent,
the all-powerful, ubiquitous number on the
digial display,
the number that is the number that is the number.

Better is the 6 foot 5 Amazonian muscle freak
with three heads who kills and cuts and consumes
her victims in the dead of night,
better is she who weans her babies on infant's blood

at the magic age of 23
than one my age.

I am of the age of those who make trash,
discarded by cheating husbands,
or boyfriends
or lesbian lovers
placed on the curb to be collected and dumped.

I am of the age of those put out to pasture,
chewing on dying things
until we, too, become dead.

Better is the bare-boned, thin-skinned
meth head with no teeth,
Better is she who makes love to needles
Virginia Slims and Shiraz

at the age of 23
than one my age.

Woe be unto her that reaches the
number of all numbers,
for she shall become really fat
or else she'll become a man,
fit and lean and narrow-waisted.

Woe be unto her that reaches the
number of all numbers!