RECEPTION PORTCULLIS

Stupid jokes crackle tuning knobs twist hesitantly and dramatically carelessly through the hall as figures are dazed with punchlines and step into the autonomic reflexes with the caffeine buzz did you read it read all of it deleted it and scrolled through down to another career no the interest evaporated before we even got to this screen oh that's right there has never been a we. Tapping on the window shadows moving away edges of a cart retreating or large box cleaning or removing the window putting the glass or more wall in its place more wall it is. Who here remembers who is still here that remembers who used to be here stuck here who remembers what is slapped against the side of the head stupid jokes crackle tuning knobs twist hesitantly and dramatically carelessly through the hall as figures are dazed with punchlines and step into the autonomic reflexes with the caffeine buzz did you read it read all of it deleted it and scrolled through down to another career no the interest evaporated before we even got to this screen leaves brown and dry can be found under the desk toward the back where shoes deposit them from under the steps through trash during an explosion orange peeled to reveal dark wet standing up slowly who gets this kind of help what if they don't make it what if I do and I did so to speak so to speak with a tapping on a window shadows moving away edges of a cart retreating or large box cleaning or removing the window putting glass or more wall in its place more wall it is.

"Imaging, may I help you?"
"I was wondering if I could speak to someone regarding hold on I wrote it down."
"Do people still do that?"
"Do what?"
"Wonder."
"I don't think so just a phrase really."
"I couldn't come up with a reason to disagree with you more. Now how may I help you?"
"What did you just say? I didn't quite follow all that."
"It was awkwardly constructed. Never mind. How may I help you?"
"I wrote it down here. I just can't seem to read it."
"I can't read my own handwriting. I make things up."
"I think that says brain."
"I do the same thing with my thoughts as well. I just assume. It's not like I haven't done it before."
"Could you put me in touch with someone regarding a brain?"
"That'll be quite enough of the touching. You'd think with it being imaging it would be look don't touch."
"I'm sorry. I meant to say contact. No that doesn't work either."
"You used the word speak earlier. That'll do."
"I did? I did."
"And you want to speak with someone regarding a brain?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
"We don't image brains actually."
"You don't image brains?"
"Despite the public criticism of lowering our standards."

Lifting a remote dripping with sweat seeing the trail connected to the bottom of the potted plant soaked looking to the left a bloody kneecap stabbing the gut foreheads shaking in disapproval that was to be expected forgot enough to allow encouragement to accumulate enough on the tongue to open your mouth slam the top of your knuckle-headed head down hard enough to shut it the fuck up enough who had it last the first and the last really claim nothing really delete nothing when it clings to the inside of your skull except when you need it to get out of a cage in the shape of what you imagined was your calling in the shape of who was calling.

"Is this being recorded?"
"Is what being recorded?"
"This conversation. Is it being recorded?"
"What we're saying is not going to end up anywhere if that's what you mean."
"I gather that the gist of this is that there is no gist."
"The thing I dislike most about the way they designed the break-rooms is that they have one for each half of the building."
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Each half has their own break-room. You can go for years without bumping into anyone from the other half of the building."
"Except if they're bringing them around to introduce them on their first day or escorting them out on their last."
"I have a list of phone numbers for other locations where they can have you speak with someone regarding a brain."
"I used to work at a place where they had one break-room for the entire building. Very few people ended up being in there in the end. Everybody got fed up with everybody and fragmented off into various complaining chambers of the facility."
"That's discouraging."
"The whole outfit specialized in discouragement. They developed packaging that was intentionally frustrating to open in order to discourage theft. It only led to their shit being smashed and destroyed by angered consumers."
"That's terrible."
"And angered staff."
"Anger burns down a lot of decorations as well as undoing all the hard work that went into those meticulously crafted displays."
"All we have left is discouragement. Anything else just keeps that fucked up packaging blowing out the assholes of assholes."
"You sound very angry."
"I did mention angered staff."
"I know."
"I used to be part of that angered staff."
"Those were the days."
"Until they escorted me out. Sometimes they'd take us out in pairs and trios."
"You sound like you're still carrying that around to fester inside you. You should let that go."
"No no no. Don't give me that. I had a therapist once who told me not to let anyone give me that. What was it she used to say? Don't let the temperature go down on your anger."
"That sounds very wise and very old. Was she old?"
"It doesn't matter she's dead now."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Sinkhole I think it was."
"Do you like bowling?"
"Not really."
"I'm looking for that list of phone numbers."
"Take your time."
"You're being sarcastic aren't you?"
"No really I've got more time than I want ever. That's always been my problem. Even when I didn't seem to have enough time to get crap done I still ended up with too much time at the end with no end in sight."
"I know what you mean. Sometimes it pools between us so we can talk. I never seem to be able to say what I really want to say and then I take advantage of opportunities that always seem wrong like I'm trying to tuck in my voice somewhere with someone."
"Conversation is artificial seasoning to sprinkle on a tasteless existence. I find that it's better to stay quiet and say fucking nothing to shutdown the sales pitch everyone has."
"Hopefully, I'll find that infamous list."
"Did you say hope?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did."
"Hope is a pile of dead birds at the foot of a cellphone tower."
"Here it is I found it."
"It doesn't say brain. Wrong wrong number."

Lifting a remote dripping with sweat seeing the trail connected to the bottom of the potted plant soaked looking to the left a bloody kneecap stabbing the gut foreheads shaking in disapproval that was to be expected forgot enough to allow encouragement to accumulate enough on the tongue to open your mouth slam the top of your knuckle-headed head down hard enough to shut it the fuck up enough who had it last the first and the last really claim nothing really delete nothing when it clings to the inside of your skull except when you need it to get out of a cage in the shape of what you imagined was your calling in the shape of who was calling.


- Max Stoltenberg