The Earth Is Not A Joke — Jack Sovelove

EARTH

The phone came with a pictureof the earth on it.I kept it as my lock screenfor two years.I live there.A lot of people live there.Every time I picked up my phoneI thoughtthat’s where everybody is.

BORING

My friend said the earth was boring.I said it was grounding.She said that’s the joke.I said what’s the joke.She said the earth.I said the earth is not a joke.She said okay.I said the earth is not a joke.She said I heard you.Then I scrolled through my photosin front of herto prove I had something betterthan earth.

A stock photograph of a man, a woman and two boys in white shirts on a white background, piled together with their arms around each other, all four laughing open-mouthed at the camera.

THE FAMILY

I went past photos of people I know.The first thing I stopped onwas a stock photo.I don’t know how it got on my phone.A mother, a father,two boys.Everyone in white shirts.Everyone on a white background.It is very bright.They are laughingand I am laughing.They will live on my lock screen.

WEEK ONE

Funny.

WEEK TWO

Funny.

WEEK THREE

Hatred.

STOP SMILING AT ME

Why are you smiling at me.

I am checking my bank balance.

I am on hold with a dentist.

I am typing somethingand deleting itand typing it again.

I am seeing what time it is.

I am looking up whether it’s normalfor it to hurt there.

I am sitting in a parking lotfour minutes before my shift startsand I take my phone outto look at nothingand there you are.

Stop smiling at me.

2 A.M.

The room goes white for a secondand then it doesn’t.

I am smiling.

MONTH FIVE

I could change it.I know where the button is.

WHAT I STILL FEEL

Hatred.

THE STORE

I take the phone in because the battery is bad.The kid at the counter turns it over in his hands and it lights up.He doesn’t say anything for a second.

Kid: Nice family.

Me: They aren’t my family.

Kid: Okay.

He sets it face up on the counter between us and we both look at them. All four of them are laughing at the ceiling. The screen goes dark. The kid taps the screen and they come back. I reach across and turn the screen back off.

Kid: Sorry.

Me: It’s fine.

There is another phone face up on the counter next to the kid. It buzzes and lights up and it is the earth. The kid turns it over without looking at it. I keep looking at the back of it, longer than I mean to.

Me: I like your wallpaper.

Kid: Thanks.

GROUNDING

I told her the earth was groundingand I meant itand I want it on the recordthat I gave it up in under a minutefor the family.

THEY ARE NOT A FAMILY

Rick is a model.Deb is a model.Those are their real names.I found them.The kids were cast.They met that morningin a parking lotin Santa Monicaand were told to laughand they did iton the first takeand then they went hometo four different houses.

They are winning.

MONTH EIGHT

I could change it.I know where the button is.It’s not that I can’t.

RECURSION

A plan.

I took a photo of myselfholding my phonewith the family on itand made it my lock screen.

Then another friend took a photo of meholding my phonewith the photo of meholding my phone on it,and I made that my lock screen,and then we did it again,and then again,and then again.

DEPTH

Somewhere in therethey are still laughing.

STILL

The earth is not a joke.