It’s like listening to Siri navigate
after his voice changed in the update.
You know what he’s saying
but not what he’s getting at.
It’s his diction. Clipped. Like
he’s witholding something from you.
How can you trust him?
You want to see the shape of his mouth,
watch the words physically form
on the lips he doesn’t have.
How can you understand what he’s saying
if you can’t see what he’s saying?
Instead, his words appear by magic.
And who can understand magic?
Degna Stone
© Degna Stone, from Handling Stolen Goods (Peepal Tree Press, 2019)