He had suggested
I watch this amazing docu-series
about the history of civilization
named History of Civilization or something like that
on the streaming service of choice
but I told him
that I preferred
to get physical media
from the library
because I liked the limitations
of having to go to the location
and look for the item
and take it out
and bring it home
and put it on
before consuming it.

I said to him
that there is too much ease
in my world
and too many pleasures available
and without limitations
I would simply sit
in my safe American home
watching thing after thing
after thing after thing
until my eyes and ears
and nose and butt
bled and seeped
and sighed and cried
and wept and warped
until finally imploding
into shapes unimagined.

He nodded slowly
at my sage words
and considered cancelling his streaming service
and I walked away
allegedly to go to my library
but really
to ask my mother
if she’d let me have full rights
to her streaming service
again.