Thing 11: The Boy in the Bubble

The Boy in the Bubble

the boy in the bubble wears lavender
suede shoes, a blue serge suit, and
a ruffled white shirt, pirate-style.
you can watch him on his webcam, pay
per view. he’s flamboyant and he plays
keyboards better than elton john. sometimes
the boy in the bubble does card tricks.
the boy in the bubble is now 38 years
old and quite wealthy. he writes pilot
episodes of situation comedies and
scenarios for reality shows, often
based on the short stories of franz
kafka. the boy in the bubble eats
canned egg-free cakes. his favorite
flavor is chocolate. the boy in the
bubble is allergic to the world but
in love with its media. the boy in
the bubble has asked that his bubble
be surrounded by high definition
plasma television screens. the boy in
the bubble has wireless internet access
and a personal assistant whom he
sometimes treats poorly. the boy in
the bubble has mood swings and no
one can blame him. the boy in the
bubble sucks his thumb while he watches
danish pornography. the boy in the bubble
has never known a woman’s touch. the boy
in the bubble has several girlfriends on
IRC, in south carolina, darwin, australia,
and somewhere in finland. the boy in the
bubble has a massage chair that brings him
pleasure. the boy in the bubble knows most
of the dialog from the star wars films
by heart. the boy in the bubble likes the
music of kiss, ac/dc, and shostakovich. the
boy in the bubble listens to the fifth
over and over again. the boy in the bubble
owns time-shares in miami, aspen, and napa.
the boy in the bubble rents them out for
profit. the boy in the bubble has given up
on the space suit. it gave him an awful
cold and he nearly died. there is no cure.
the boy in the bubble has significant
investments in chinese insurance companies
and canadian oil sands. certain smells make
the boy in the bubble weep. the boy in the
bubble writes star trek slash fan fiction.
in the darkness, while he sleeps, the boy
in the bubble feels just the same. now he
rocks himself, gently, the boy in the bubble
rocks himself to sleep.