I don’t think I told you about the times
that I hung in the Arista office in high school.

It’s probably because
I don’t remember much of anything about it.

I was a middling student
in the magnet school for science nerds in New York City.
Arista was like its honors society or something.
I don’t even remember the details.

Friends of mine were friends with members.
My crowd hung out near their office

in the morning
before classes started.

I had no real reason to be in that office;
I wasn’t particularly friendly with any Arista member.
Still, there was a day when I kicked out a kid
who had no reason to be in the office either.

Just the kind of elitist gatekeeping bullshit
that went on back then.

I’m so glad that we’re over such things now,
and that assholes like me aren’t around
to maintain such a horrid status quo.

I hear Arista’s still around.
Maybe they don’t let in people who don’t belong
who will then block people who don’t belong
from getting in.

I sure hope so.