M a r i e B u c k —

Inside 

If there’s bumper to bumper traffic it makes it hard for the thing to scan the plates. 

In the Lincoln Tunnel they’re mostly getting six images per thing. 

And if it’s four or if it’s six, something’s wrong. 

And they noticed that these errors are coming in, just like I did. 
I don’t think I’d want to work in this sort of data forever. 
But it’s good to have in my back pocket.

If they offered it to me I would take it.

I’m sorry to ask you so many questions. 

No, that’s basically what I do.

Well, for me, I mean, you’re basically like a silent movie star. 

It’s a lot of fucking work in the morning. 

Say you would have to be there an hour before in the morning, 

you know, then I’d have to be there two hours before. Hair, makeup.
It’s a lot of fucking work. 

I’d rather be doing karaoke. Or getting yelled at on my bike. 
Eating tater tots. You name it. 

Every time I’ve ever had that moment with someone it’s always worked out. 
But also, you know, if you’ve got to say it: it’s not there. 

I like him, he’s a real personality.
He’s a musician, he’s a fucking musician.
And he’s smart and he’s intelligent.
And I’m just like, glad. 

I asked him to file my nails
and he was filing my nails so aggressively, 
like I had no hands. He was filing my nails 
like his life depended on it.

It’s gonna go back to the white screen and then you click it again.
That’s what everybody is dealing with.
It’s like click click click click click click click you’re just clicking.
And then clicking again and then clicking again, click click click click click click click.

Just Get a Little Fan 

When I talk to you
I say yes to everything.

Me in a nutshell.
You in another nutshell. 

Which is a phrase
from a different era.

Who do you think that is?
says the mom. 

Gene Kelly, says the toddler.
Gene Kelly? That’s Pee-wee Herman,

says the mom. I said “cherries”
but I meant cactus.

I touch my tongue to the molar
as I say it;

it comes out garbled. I place
a can of diced tomatoes

on the subway seat. I place
the pizza,

cheese-side down,
on my lap. I 

identify the lotion
in my hair as

lotion in my hair. 
I like 

to solve problems
and I don’t care 

what extent I 
have to go through

to get problems 
solved, that’s

what it’s about.  

See You in a Month and See You in a Year 

You can’t just tell a whole department, you know,
“Fuck you guys.” 

As if we were just sitting here, watching how
different cans react to lava. 

There’s a bartender who loves me
and I love her. I’ll pay for like one glass of wine
and she’ll refill it all night. Oh my god, I love her.

You would look around and, well, it was one of those things
where you would look around
and be like, wow, we’re here! You know?
Right on the beach. It was so bohemian. Like I, 
I couldn’t believe it. There was sand, just there.
There were termites. I couldn’t believe it. There was
a certain mushroom. I have it written down. 

He asked me, are you all done? And I said no! I’m still working on this. 

I said, it’s delicious. I said, if I didn’t think so I wouldn’t
keep on licking it. 

And so I want to tell you about it.
I want to tell you about it 
and then report it to the department. 

But then you go, you go,

I’m not gonna hate you for this. 

Not gonna hate you. But upset? You can’t tell me

not to be upset after something like this. 

.