the scratch

when you hear the song,
you remember the scratch
that caught the needle
and held the record in place,
repeating the words
again and again.
it might have been thirty
years ago when you got
up from the couch or
floor, or bed, or asked
in a smoky haze for
someone to bump the needle
just so, but now
the song moves along.
strangely though,
it's not the same.
you miss the scratch.