Knowing your mercenary heart
I asked you to fight my battles
and win every one.
We haggled for several hours
but were too far apart
and neither side opted for arbitration.
I no longer know your voice
since you chose not to be the fierce friend
to back me up in bars.
You took up watching soap bubbles
exude from fancy toys
to dazzle park goers.
I dove into digital numbers—
the infinite subset between
zero and one.
As you gathered folks around you
to enjoy the simple wonders
that brought you to natural settings
I pushed them farther and father away
connecting through applications
and screens across oceans.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 