How to break, how to mend

How pop-songs and life-stories mutually embed

How it feels to weave a sacred trap with the resources u have available

Sometimes the world folds in on itself & it’s time to sing

In June 2012 I was at the Rainbow in Greenpoint, when Gotye’s breakup anthem “Somebody I Used to Know” started playing on the store speakers. I sighed long & said, “Jordan loved this song . . . he just texted me, ‘now you’re just somebody i used to know!!!’”

In June 2012 we had just broken up.

In February 2018 I was at MOMA PS1 again, this time for home school field day, home school the free popup art school I co-facilitate with manuel arturo abreu.

I remember I walked back in the karaopy room after RaFIA’s set in the dome

I felt aglow with art energy

buzzy from the crowd

And there he was, Jordan

On the red cushions with friends, watching people sing therapeutic karaoke

I said hi. We were still friends.

Then my heart felt right/I had an idea that felt important to me

I said: “Jordan let’s karaopy ‘Somebody I Used to Know’”

at first he said “no,”

I was slightly dismayed but i didn’t push him,

We all sat on the cushions admiring the singers. They were good, lots of feeling

I had to stay til the end.

Jordan came out of a long thought and said, “Let’s sing it. It is a duet”

glancing at the words

singing the breakup anthem of our breakup summer together

I did some ad-libbing between verses

the full-circle-hood felt good