Behind the Screen

Our conversation lulls

for a moment too long,

and I feel awkward,

uncomfortable…

unsure what to say or do next.

So I pull out my phone.

By now it’s a reflexive defense.

I thumb through various screens

looking at nothing,

pretending to look at everything,

anything

besides the person I was talking to.

Bless the creator

of this technological savior

that I can use as a mask

when I’m faced with the prospect

of an awkward interaction.

I hide behind the screen.

***

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