"Online Dating"
I loved the photo of you nearly completely under water
kissing a smiling dolphin,
Almost as much as you the picture of you pummeling a piņata,
blindfolded
to the wild cheers of your friends
as if in a WWF wrestling match.
Your other photos are equally endearing, you among . . .
your co-workers,
your family,
your hiking buddies,
your favorite barista,
your Pilates instructor,
your five-foot poodle.
Or traveling to the many Wonders of The World,
with resplendent buildings and plazas
only outdone by breathtaking nature vistas.
Never alone
or without sunglasses,
for that would spoil The Mystery.
Your profile description
clear, witty,
plea-fully seeking
emotional availability,
integrity, and
adventure
from your future partner.
Hence why you reached out to me,
the requisite switch of "possible chemistry"
or at least an entertaining diversion,
being toggled on.
After two, or maybe three message exchanges
there is
Silence.
Like an exhausted turn-of-the-century street light,
your communication device apparently depends on a
rare or illicitly harvested
power source,
like whale oil or coal from stolen Native American land.
Maybe the keys on your keyboard became Cyrillic?
Or the background on your monitor inexplicably changes color
every seven minutes and gives you migraines?
Or, more likely, some other shiny profile
has captured your attention.
Should we ascend to the stage
of actually arranging a video or live date?
There will surely be the need
for our horoscopes to align and grant us a
Blessing of Good Fortune
And confirmation that we're not taking Time too seriously . . .
Speaking of time,
I understand that life's mysteries arise unpredictably
and that your absence from our first date
could not be helped.
Surely, a warning (or, God forbid, an apology)
might tip the balance of power uncomfortably for you.
Mind you, I don't take any of this personally.
How can I?
I've chosen to live
in the
most individualistic country in the world
in the
most individualistic state in the country
in the
most individualistic community in the state
in a culture
that worships the "Must Have" list of traits
for a partner
above all else.
Thank You for bestowing the Gift of Non-Attachment
to me
in such uncertain times . . .
April 2022
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©2022,
Michael Smolens
