Memos              3 November 1997

A thousand miles apart
But wedded together, they
Express passion through 
Wires and words.

She calls him from work,
A guilty habit, frowned on.
Engineers, jealous for their
Projects, keep their eyes and
Ears upon her.

How jealous her husband is of
Them, those who count only
Work and results.  He knows they
Look upon her with lust anyway,
undressing her, offering to be
Her slave.

They can't be kept apart, at
First, the codes are simple--
She pretends to be talking to 
A roommate about chores, and he
Bitterly, knows to hang up.

But they build upon their ciphers
Of passion, of love, of bodies
Conjoined in secret.  Soon it sounds
Just like a business conversation
Even as she is made wet by his talk
Of invoices, of memos, of specifications.

Their friends wonder at them
Taking bills of lading, contracts,
Schematics, flow charts to bed
With them.  Don't they know that
Work cannot replace love?

Once she is almost caught
Touching herself, fingers sliding
There, reading his unbearably
Nasty circuit board design.

Finally, they are doomed to a 
Dual existence.  They are together
At last, but they seek out board
Meetings, stock quotes.  Ferociously,
They make love, watching
Lewd broadcasts of futures markets,
Telling improbable tales.