Clark Gormley #19 LPs

neglected on the shelf
for the last couple of decades
many purchased second hand
from Ashwoods in Pitt St
in the mid 80s
scratched and warped

dusty and damaged
and cheap old technology
on the way out
the only undeniable
truth, they had and
they still have the groove

and that groove
was regularly blockaded
the needle derailed
forward, or worse
back onto a repeating track
that lasted 1.82 seconds

changing the order
was fiddly and
required a steady hand
and then you had
to turn it over
to hear the other side

recently
I sold a few
at a market stall
for 2 bucks each
they went like hotcakes!
I couldn't believe that

I was undercharging
that anyone would consider
the unnecessary effort
to be some sort of ritual
like rolling a cigarette
something cool and old-fashioned