unlit matches

elevator music please

when did they decide
to make elevator music
obsolete?

i suppose we do
get to keep
the electric hums

and whirring of cogs,
i still miss the silly
elevator tracks though.

pop songs turned into
chimes, taking all
the explicit words out

so the Grandpas
and Mas are not
offended.

...

the silence
gently filled
with noise

helping strangers
ease tension,
maybe even bond

and later recall
singing along
with a new friend.

the atmosphere
is no longer soothed
and awkwardness

has made itself
at home
instead.

consider this
a personal petition
to bring back the tunes,

stereos deserve lyrics
and not just
safety announcements.