Kari Larson, Velocity

Extinct, the elevator music
that once roamed
the earth.  Comfortable tinkle of
piano
or even the jazzy sax background
gives way to
the bang bong beat of a new era
haste.  Thrown off
the stately, familiar old heap.
Now full tilt
rap music, credit cards, faster cars,
and coffee.
It’s forward, never toward and on
to the next
new notion.  The endless hum and mutter.
And big macs.
Once, music was musical, friendly
faces filled
the stores.  We stood in line at banks, licked
stamps for hand-
wrote notes, and anyone’s word meant more.