Thursday, May 7, 2020

Proxemics ... Spreadsheet

Today’s word is “proxemics” ... the study of the spatial requirements of humans and animals and the effects of population density on behavior, communication, and social interaction. (Dictionary.com)

Spreadsheet
The proxemics are turned
      upside down.
The little man checking statistics
     shakes his head.
People who worked in offices
     are sitting in their living rooms
          juggling e-mail and zooming.
Kids crammed into schoolrooms
     just weeks ago are squinting
          at their friends on screens.
People who were flying are grounded,
     unable to fix their broken wings.
Even God can only find his people
     in seclusion, as they send comfort
          to each other on the internet.
The little man cleans his glasses,
     perplexed and uncertain, his finger poised 
          above the delete key.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

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