Selective consumption
︎︎︎ Alexandra Naughton
︎ June 19, 2026
it was never romantic
sleeping on an unvacuumed floor
washing my face with unpotable water
rinsing mold from ceramic mugs
and stepping in
freezer waffles
brazen and incessant
I moved on and felt sad for the other objects
it took too long
besmirched the power of pride
in a defiant way
still so self-congratulating
found myself
in the field recording small evils
from those who don’t value life
here’s the coda:
the beef is
in the family planning aisle of Rite Aid
a hammer does
the opposite of what you tell it
with an ax
you can start a new religion
sleeping on an unvacuumed floor
washing my face with unpotable water
rinsing mold from ceramic mugs
and stepping in
freezer waffles
brazen and incessant
I moved on and felt sad for the other objects
it took too long
besmirched the power of pride
in a defiant way
still so self-congratulating
found myself
in the field recording small evils
from those who don’t value life
here’s the coda:
the beef is
in the family planning aisle of Rite Aid
a hammer does
the opposite of what you tell it
with an ax
you can start a new religion
Alexandra Naughton is a Philadelphia-based writer, publisher, and literary events producer.