Note: Title taken from a They Might Be Giants song.

Not dedicated to Flaming Trails for her inadvertent inspiration. She had nothing to do with this.

"I Palindrome I"

His father still hasn't appeared
(too chicken?)
So he has to accompany his future mother to the dance
but it doesn't seem to make a difference,
because
he still isn't fading.

Before the last song is over,
they park. (with all that implies)
"Relax," she says,
"I've done this dozens of times."
(another thing to file away in the "Things I Never Wanted To Know About My Parents" section of your mind)

Afterwards
he wonders if he's just
fucked himself into existence
but the dates
(birth, death, conception)
don't match up
and he's not older
and he's still not fading