whether or not I’m a good lover.
I’m more concerned
with whether or not I’m a good friend.
I’m more concerned
with whether or not I’m a good brother.
I’m more concerned
with whether or not I’m a good son.
I’m more concerned
with trying to keep my shoulders back.
I’m more concerned
with going bald.
I’m more concerned
with not drinking too much.
I’m more concerned
with not taking too many drugs.
I’m more concerned
with not having a ‘proper job’.
I’m more concerned
with not having any job.
I’m more concerned
with making my parents believe I feel alright.
I’m more concerned
with how the boundaries of the universe expand.
I’m more concerned
with how multi-verses might exist.
I’m more concerned
with how, if multi-verses might exist, then multiple multi-verses might exist.
I’m more concerned
with what to make of all that dark.
I’m more concerned
with how God died quietly two centuries ago and business has continued as usual.
I’m more concerned
with whether the other side of a motorbike exists when I can’t see it.
I’m more concerned
with many perplexing things.
I’m more concerned
with producing any work of merit during my stay on earth.
I’m more concerned
with the knowledge that this poem holds no merit.
I’m more concerned
with the letter from the student loan company asking if I’m making any money yet.
I’m more concerned
with not succumbing to junk food.
I’m more concerned
with sticking to the speed limit.
I’m more concerned
with learning how to imitate the ease I read in the face of every other species.
I’m more concerned
with learning how to listen to other people’s views, whether I agree with them or not.
I’m more concerned
with coming to an understanding.
I’m more concerned
with not being a bad loser.
I’m more concerned
with listening to Stephen Fry’s voice.
I’m more concerned
with listening to Leonard Cohen’s voice.
I’m more concerned
with listening to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s voice.
I’m more concerned
with listening to beautiful voices everywhere.
I’m more concerned
with looking at beautiful faces everywhere.
I’m more concerned
with knowing that ugly faces are beautiful everywhere.
I’m more concerned
with knowing one man’s waste is another man’s soap.
I’m more concerned
with crediting that line to MF DOOM
I’m more concerned
with the need to sum it up.

I’m more concerned
with any and every neuron firing
in an infinity of combinations of memory and experience
in the incredible underrated untapped untouched sleep-quiet might
of the human brain

than I am concerned
about

the colour of your skin.