Don't You Have a Phone?

Just try going out without one

Pumping gas, I asked the clerk
if he knew the road to town
he look around, confused and said
Don't you have a phone?

In town I stopped a man, Point me to a hotel
The man on the street was sure there was one
He just couldn't tell me where. Look it up, he said,
Don't you have a phone?

What's that your writing?
The bartender asked of the napkin at my side
Just some math I'm adding up, Why?, she said,
Don't you have a phone?

I asked the woman beside me her name
where, perhaps, she was from
she sighed, and wearily said,
Don't you have a phone?

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This poem was inspired by this recent interview with author Michael Kirn. I don’t think we fully appreciate the impact smartphones have had on society. Thankfully we have authors like Kirn to help document these changes. Check out his work with County Highway if you want a good physical newspaper in your life.

Photo by Michael on Unsplash