People who don’t speak
in their natural voices
look to see if you are watching them
formulate their next policy statement.
The manipulation of the facial tissue
in conjunction with an elevation in the throat
produces a most important sound
and a reapportionment of the lower lip.
She might be an anchor woman
describing riots in another world.
He’s testifying before a sub-committee
in expert cadence and pitch.
Listen to me, they keep saying,
I’m alone in a hotel room
eleven stories above it all.
I’m out of cigarettes and falling asleep
with the New York Times
smeared all over my hands.