Leiko's Itch Poem by David Floren

Leiko pretends to brush back her hair,
Catching the Nikkei news on the JumboScreen,
Covering stories of worker bees,
Walling her way to the shopping mall.

Trading suspended, Leiko notes,
And LiveDoor fraud allegations orbited by tickers
…ACME down by 6
…acronym moves, flickers.

Pretends nothing, Leiko,
when it comes to itches.
Scratching the spots
pecking her neck,
As if chicken pox afflicted her skin.

Her fingers scratch surreptitiously
All the while
feigning to reign in
wayward strands.

Leiko pretends to forget
Conventional wisdom: scratching one’s neck
Signifies weakness.
She’s just adjusting her hair, you who’re wondering.

Leiko pretends not to be unsettled
by feigning a cool confidence
in the markets.

I’m not fooled.
Cybercrime is just the most recent
Iteration of hyper slime lust.

We idly spent the nation
On handbags and footwear
To keep pond scum operatives
Well-fed and well-shod.

Great job, team!
Neat-o!

Leiko smiles – she’s been schooled
To shop
As if it were an itch.

All the fat problems she’ll ignore
At the store.
…at the store.
…at the store.


[5-1-06 Santa Rosa, CA (rev.1 2/6/08 Livermore, CA) ]