Robo Sapien (Weird Tales from the era of Late Capitalism) Here's a poem written after an encounter with a strange young woman who seemed to me to have learned how to speak to her clients in a corporate "how to be human" workshop.

Robo Sapien
(Weird Tales from the era of Late Capitalism)

Her name is Kelly

She says she's booked a room for our meeting

Why don't we make our way there

And would I like a glass of water?

Her eyes are blue and chrome

She's breathing regularly

Her ribs are patented

She knows her self like the back of her dead hand

Her voice is loud and animated

She is animated and subdued

She has strategies to respond to stress and conflict

like this

like this

like this

She has shiny hair

She is crossing her legs

She is uncrossing her legs

Her fingers grasp her clip board

There are 25 bones in her hand

She comes with a manual

© Copyright Deborah Levy. London. 2009  All Rights Reserved  The above text may not be used in any other context either in part or in whole without the express written consent of the author.