That is That

Jaydn DeWald
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Don’t touch that. That is a registered trademark. That requires a signature. If left on a stove or near a heat source, that may explode. That may result in rapid eye movement. That is not protected against harmful interference in a residential installation. That reveals a green tree in an otherwise color- less landscape. That is, a holographic line-chart. That is not enough. That will keep you up nights, face-booking in the dark. That has a tendency to aggregate and is difficult to dispel. That marks—roll credits—a sudden, unforeseen conclusion. Does that mean you’re leaving, finally? Well, forgive me. That was cruel. I had no right to say that. Between you and me, that was inevitable. That hereby dissolves our legal union. That easily compresses wood, glass, even metal. That will continue, as these red dots suggest, to affect our population. Now get up—that seat is taken. A gentleman is here to escort you from the building. That is an order. That has been reported to cause frequent, unexpected blackouts. That can make you disappear. That will produce (when our secret logo is unveiled) a brief tingling sensation.

Jaydn DeWald plays bass for the DeWald/Taylor Quintet, and serves as an Associate Poetry Editor for Silk Road. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Blue Mesa Review, Cerise Press, The Hollins Critic, The National Poetry Review, New York Quarterly, and others. An MFA candidate at Pacific University, he currently lives with his wife in San Francisco, CA.