iPod Isolation

I used to be disdainful of the pod people

Nodding to themselves and sporting headphones

Shutting themselves off from the sounds of the real world

Shutting themselves off from a conversational possibility

Now, I’ve become one myself

Managing playlists

Thousands of songs

Which follow me around

Providing a soundtrack on my rambles

But if I make eye contact with some stranger’s face I pause and remove the earphone

And exchange a pleasantry

A word or two

Sometimes, a real conversation follows

A moment of dialogue

Shared connection for a brief instant

Resulting from that memory

Of resentment of the pod people

In their splendid isolation

Self-absorption throwing up walls

And so I practice social engagement

Even as I revel in my tunes