“First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you watch a high-speed car chase on TV at an Argentinian steakhouse,
Then you get blood on your Superman shirt jumping from a swingset,
Then they revoke the planetary status of Pluto,
Then they pick you up in a hatchback on their way home from a revival,
Then you appreciate the silence of a new snow,
Then they give you a novelty check the size of a surfboard,
Then a cat sneaks its way onto a plane bound for Disney world,
Then you jump off a fire escape to disaster, as prophesied,
Then they sell your personal data to the highest bidder,
Then your skull connects at full speed with the pavement,
Then you survive,
Then you listen to static and worship music on the interstate,
Then you strip naked under red lights in the district,
Then you see wild elephants on a motorcycle ride with your lover,
Then you resentfully move on from the skinny jean trend,
Then you get a panoramic view of so many cities,
Then you watch from the power plant as the manatees gather,
Then you overcome the urge to pluck sutures from your wounds,
Then they make eye contact,
Then they reassure you,
Then you eat the local mangos,
Then you win.”