even with the ringer
off I hear the Droid
buzz sense my sons’ calls
one wants to drop-by
the younger needs his compression shorts
long distance friends insist
their way past my determined
persona past my candle-lit
intention into various conversations
e-mails bing on the multi-window screen
Attend! Attend! they command beyond
power of choice while Facebook lures
demonic detachment to scroll past everyone
else’s breast cancer, freedom, publication
exhaustion and articles pop-up to Exclaim!
Proclaim! Declaim! while meager efforts to refrain
from merging with virtual traffic
take all the energy I can muster
my husband, ensconced in legalese does not
even know I’ve texted my loneliness from
the dry autumn trail where ghosts do Tai Chi
and dog walkers attempt to communicate
as I pass by in search of a more expansive view
one where the tops of trees and blue sky outweigh
the risk of wanting or needing to cry
