he said it fil'em
like the plastic was empty
waiting for our eyes
to fill the space
like the chemicals
were waiting
only for us
he said it fil'em
and the doc said iod-een
because it rhymed
he claimed
with the elements about it
for which it was defined
he said it fil'em
pronounced difference
of someone who grew up
before rebellion
and television
who'd left before
his memory was complete
he said it fil'em
and whenever I smell the
chemicals
on my hands
and in my clothes
I think of the pictures
appearing
like magic
not always how I remembered them
in memory
© lily keller 2001