remote transmission
I always realized you were done with wires
and regiments of photons in a void;
but then illusion, to succeed, requires
suspense of disbelief to be enjoyed.
I watched you like a picture on a screen,
the way teenagers moon for tv stars.
It seemed my reach could bridge the space between;
in fact, you were no less remote than Mars.
I thought where there’s an image there must be
its model somewhere, so I searched for that.
But our encounters were illusory,
You always seemed so indistinct and flat.
And I’d muse, What an interesting kid.
I’d like to meet him … But I never did.
May 21, 1979
