Greatest hits.

Every album

is a complete work

unto itself,

but they cut and paste them,

out of context:

several half-dozen

good songs.

Greatest hits

of the most ripe fruit,

chosen

though the others still nourish.

There's no time

to listen to the story:

you'd rather have

the scant

and naked plot

and go from there.

In time,

your ears die

and new things

sound too far away

or insignificant,

and all you're left with

is a song

that everybody likes.