Benjamin Gorman's Shared Poems

They say geeks in their geekery
started it all, tinkering
with electricity circuits and logic
29 October 1969

The first packet-switched message
heralding in our present age
of communication commerce
the dawn of the internet

History says the geeks were sending "login"
from one ARPA site to another
only L and O made the trip
before a "buffer overrun" ended the missive

Suitably sciency story for posterity.
the truth is far more sinister
The L and the O were for LOVE
a message from one geek to another

A secret Valentine, decidedly unsciency;
and love being an unequationed intruder
the censors (everywhere) cut the message off
V and E knocked off the rails

Entered the electromechanical maelstrom
ricocheted through the heart of
the forebear machine eternally
etching organic illogic on the circuitous traceries

Leaving ell oh to arrow to their goal
half-love spoken in a blue-spark whisper
ell oh a greeting, the better half of love
the progeny machines forever branded with our beautiful dis-ease

You haven't been here before,
have you?
You look familiar
I think I've seen you before
somewhere.
Can't place it,
on the tip of my tongue,
like the memory of a dream.
Well, okay, you can come in,
have a visit.
Just sit where I can see you,
I'm not comfortable with you
moving around,
opening up the cupboards,
looking in the fridge
for a snack.
Sure, we'll talk
keep to the pleasantries
skim the headlines.
But I've got to get to know you
before I get too comfortable.
What's your name again?
Joy, you say?

stricken streetlight's
feeble flickers

ironic reminder
or humorous hint

of the limited light
in our brief candle?

While we fascinated ourselves
with ourselves
repeating our own reflections
back to us
with slight variations
infinite iterations
the moon
(old trickster)
swung overhead
drew to its gray vault
all those things we
had once known
and loved
and reflected
in wonder and admiration—
trees mountains rivers
herds of caribou blue of ocean
sound of rain giraffes
up they flew
surprised and star-dazzled
all cargoed in moon's
hollow core—
and with full-bellied
sail he charted a course
out of the solar system
leaving behind one of our own
copies of itself
pinned on the sky
in its place;
we haven't noticed
the difference
haven't realized
we've been
robbed

You've plotted your plots
planned your plans
dreamed on it a good while
until the dreams
take on the annoying cast
of routine
tacked photos of
your destination up
to the walls
so it's always in your sights
you repair the canvas
replace weatherworn sheets
prepare the colors
and on the chosen morning
the tide at full flood
you step to the gangplank
suck in a lungful of salt air
like you'd bite off a mouthful
from a fresh hot loaf
and then you see
the lovely lady
beckoning you
from the five-course banquet
opulently appointed
on the grounds
of the manor house
the colors flutter
in a breeze
the ship creaks
anticipation
but there sits the lady
and you wonder
just whose game
this is.