More than speed…

texting can come instantly,
photos grab your heart
internet provide a show
but snail mail’s the best part!

brings the family to your door
shares the joys of parenting;
lets you hold the love in hand
the grammar, punctuation thing!

E-Tip-Toe Through the Texts

Emerging Poet

Today I tip-toed through the texts,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle dum!

With my thumb and tongue on run,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle-dum.

I sent pix and kin sent some,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle-dum.

Text did stray; mistakes did play,
Twinkle-plea and twinkle-be.

Old and young still found the key,
Twinkle-please and thankle-we.

Who knew keyboards tiny keys could
Wankle-me and wonkle you?

Wonder words woosh wishes with
Twinkle-text and twankle’s best!
All rights.
Jeanne Poland

IPhone Sestina

Off we drive to Albany Med with iPhone
in the pocket, ‘case we need to text
’bout surgeon, or surgery; a message
to the son, the daughter. Seeking privacy
on the speaker phone; I’m the speaker
of anxiety, reaching out to be touched.

In the surgery clinic, I am touched,
offered a pillow, soft like the iPhone
words that hold and soothe me (from a speaker):
Abbreviated, stroking, soothing text
from my loved ones cross Cloud’s privacy:
A sky drawn, cloud blown message.

“It’s the day and age for messaging”
the nurse approves, and nods, as touched
by digital strokes, cloaked in privacy
from family on the iPhone
held in my hand, an I-V text
to shore both hearer and speaker.

against the blood clots:they’re the speaker
of the need for I and D: thrombosis message.
Afraid to rest, afraid to text
All veins and tissues touched
by searches, findings on the iPhone,
settings preferred, protections, privacy.

The screen, it plots my journey privately
for our eyes only, doctors, nurses, patients speaking
the language of health, the language of iPhone,
the images of technology’s father and mother messaged
and sent with healing touches
forwarded, selected, deleted, texted.

OK to read, OK to key, OK to text!
The wonders of this room:window to privacy;
We’re touched by science winking on an iPhone:
honoring eons of evolving, human messages
from air to fire to bone to blood, touched
by all that served; the findings turned to text.

Touched centuries ago by sapient speakers;
text-grunts becoming words; from privacy
to messages, crossed oceans, isles and iPhones.

Sometimes Texting Breaks Down

Sometimes Texting Breaks Down

Sometimes texting breaks down,
falls apart
like pizza dough
too thin or too dry:
unsustainable.

I write: “want to see the grand-kids,
hear about NH”

And he writes: “Come Tuesday afternoon”

I write: “have to see Dr.Nussbaum at 5:30PM”

He writes: “Need help all day Thursday”

I write: “Could come after the 10AM appointment with
Dr. McPherson on Thursday but still want to see them on Tuesday
Could bring lunch, pay for painters
and bring some things we bought, eg. cat food”

He writes: “If it’s wet food,
we don’t give the cats wet food.”

And therein, the text breaks down!

We fed them when they were away in N.H.
Brought delectable helpings of Fancy Feast
and filled their little dishes for a week.
Finally, Don bought more, a whole carton,for 2 cats, for another six days.
We had the return date wrong, misinterpreted
the tiny empty cat dishes calling to the grandparents.

Once again, our lavish style,
our opulence spreads over their spartan life.

We have to let go the lunch, the Tuesday visit, the curiosity,
the vacation report, the August week’s growth
upon the one and three year old.

We’re back to begging
for an audience with the Pope of Austerlitz:
ashamed, trepid, tip-toeing on our way to grand-child’s house
with home-made swings, biking paths, dog and cats,
and modest ways

compared to ours:
antique
electronic, compulsive, earthy, expansive, exorbitant,
generous,
sugar-coated Nanna Jeanne and Don!

Tip-Toe Through the Texts

Today I tip-toed through the texts,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle dum!

With my thumb and tongue on run,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle-dum.

I sent pix and kin sent some,
Twinkle-dee and twinkle-dum.

Text did stray; mistakes did play,
Twinkle-plea and twinkle-be.

Old and young still found the key,
Twinkle-please and thankle-we.

Who knew keyboards tiny keys could
Wankle-me and wonkle you?

Wonder words woosh wishes with
Twinkle-text and twankle’s best!
All rights.
Jeanne Poland