Reinforcement

—

amazon search long black trenchcoat
maybe you'll go to the cosplay this year
google search sci fi convention
what was that quote, please?
(spend an hour making an avatar,
spend another two finding a forum
to use it on)

no new emails

should be studying—wiki inductive reactance
to assuage the guilt

you should get an aquarium
google search small colorful fish
tab guppies
tab gertrude's blue eye
tab mollies
even though there's no room in your house
for an aquarium

no new emails

really, there's a test on tuesday—
you should know what an inductor is by now
(a dim, dark feeling, the fear is building)

distract yourself—
you should see a few episodes
everybody's always talking about it
google watch tv shows online
tab episode one
tab episode two
tab episode three
they take a while to load, so you check—
but there are no new emails

start a thread on the forum
two replies, reply back
episode one has buffered, start watching
but after two minutes, you pull it aside
to a separate window
because your fingers will not still
and you must find reviews for this episode
and read them while you watch
or maybe you need the script
because you can't hear what they're saying
or maybe you go to the forum
to talk about what you are watching

all these excuses

did I mention that you have no new emails?

the screen flashes frantically
you look, but do not see
the sheer volume of information
is astounding—
(five hours pass, you've got to wake up in two
and the worst part is
you remember
nothing)

amidst all the data
there is only one fact
and that is:

you have a problem.