Halflove

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