The comfort we get

turning phenomena into data,

graphing a sigh,

we can quantify that comfort too,

which gives off more pleasurable data,

like an echo

fleeing a useless laugh.

Watching clouds change shape

is a doomed pursuit,

but that doesn’t mean

we shouldn’t do it.

Better to fail there than triumph

building a box for an integer

that by its nature

can never be the thing itself,

that gone moment

we wish to examine more closely.