My friend was speaking to me in a robot voice
and it was freaking me out:
"I've got everything I need. On the screen
is a picture of you and the reflection of my face
not exactly grinning, but something."
I misheard grinning as greening and therefore thought
he meant he was coming alive.
Only later when he said "No, grinning, dummy" did I realize
that was what he meant whether he meant to or not.
Either way I disagreed. I said "Watch this,"
and all he could do was the robot,
over and over,
but that seemed to be working out for him. People were responding,
mimicking his moves.
It was stupid. "This is fucking stupid," I said,
jutting my arm mechanically ironically.
"Now you're getting it," he said. "The beat, you like the beat
and it likes you, I can tell."
On instinct I said "Sorry, God is my boyfriend."
I don't know what my problem was. He was totally genuine.
To read more poems by Dan Hoy, please click here to purchase JUBILAT 10
