fascism needs an apocalypse
like the kool aid man needs
a wall like I need a drink
like I need to quit drinking
addiction is a silly simile
since its invention relies
on its comparison’s existence
I’m not saying that under
communism I wouldn’t be
a drunk I’m saying that
under communism it
would be easier not to
drink & I have to say
I haven’t had a drink in
six years feels sometimes
like how politicians will
say how long it’s been
from the last time the
government committed
an atrocity always pointing
toward the next time they’ll
have to make an admission
to a pattern of wrongdoing
as a concession or distraction
from their current wrongdoing 

I’m uncertain of the strength
of my body against the weight
of history so I’d like to talk instead
about the persistence of my cat
in insisting I feed her regardless
of the last time she was fed

If I am writing as I am now she
knocks my hand from the page
& the pen out of it & pushes her
head between my hand & the page
& in this way she makes clear
her power over what I’m trying
to produce & though I refuse
to feed her until it’s dinner I still
feed her & honestly some days
I feed her early & honestly I
wonder if she can’t at some
point just climb the fridge &
knock the food bag over
& feed herself & honestly
I’m pretty sure she can
& most of the peace in my
house relies on her not doing
this

what I’m saying is we need
to move past the stage my
cat is in & start climbing
refrigerators but you’re smart
& you knew that already &
even still I’d like to say it again:
we need to start climbing
refrigerators.

Brendan Joyce is a busboy in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of Character Limit (2019), a collection of poetry originally published as a twitter thread. He can be found on Twitter at @nicetryofficer.