{by Terry Culkin}

Green eyes squinting towards the sky,

a deep breath in, her mind escaping back inside.

Only moments ago she was on the far side of the glass.

Her memories linger on words, black type

letter by letter; traveling a thousand miles per second.

Never saw her lips move, a two-dimensional

picture sent and received, typed and entered.

Years of conversations in ones and zeros,

smiles and laughs echo in cyber space –

never met the girl on the far side of the glass.

Sharing our secret stories, those

dreams and fears locked inside,

a confessional booth through telephone calls

cyber chats over a digital line.

Never to hear her voice from the next room,

slide my hand through her hair,

smell the smoke when she cooks,

watch her eat from across the table.

Is this reality or a virtual hell?

Can you remember a face of someone you never met?

Can you find love thousands of miles away?

Even though our hands never touched,

pushing her further away is a sin.

However, our lives physically apart,

countries bordering between,

the gravity of the Universe,

keeps her on the far side of the glass.