She Wanted to Say Hey
By

    She wanted to say hey
    but said hi instead
    stilted; formal
    less animated—more dead
    her sarcasm was misread.

    And so they entered the vacuum of Usual Things
    “talked” about airplanes, cumulus clouds
    compared cell phone rings
    this was easy, meaningless
    a novel start
    throw in the word dichotomy
    and you’ll sound smart
    tilt your chin now, easy
    up and down
    bear those teeth please—but not so cheeky
    more pageant queen, less clown

    “I read Thomas Pynchon. And drink tea from recycled lids.”
    “I have tons of friends. We make Memories That I’ll Tell My Kids.”
    They will trade dimples, swap awkward high-fives
    and each night they’ll chant like clockwork
    This is the best part of our lives

    (and yet)

    “I love that movie”
    “Yeah, it’s my favorite as well”
    they lap up their crude connection
    and everything is vacuous but swell

    she will change her outfit eleven times
    scoffing at ugg boots
    humming radiohead rhymes
    he will get drunk charming obnoxious
    lose his keys, his qualms, his tollbooth dimes

    and after the pencil shavings, the photographs
    the cheap bottles of wine
    they’ll call home and say
    “I’m fine”

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