“CAPTCHA,” by Gary Grossman

Dec 20th, 2022 | By | Category: Poetry

You’re an A-hole really,
my optic nerve skewered

far into my cerebellum.
by this chastity belt for

the Web. Postage stamp
pictures, grainier than beach

sand, but missing warmth.

Hacker no, hackee yes,
but minor troubles, once

a laptop purchase—quickly
erased, though the schmuck

reordered sixty-four minutes
later. But you, CAPTCHA,

you’ve held me hostage
one hundred plus times

Mark all photos with toe
shoes, mark all photos with

with cyanobacteria,
mark all photos with

tires made in Kurume
Japan, mark all photos with a

book title in six point
Gothic.

After three rounds I curse this
century, and then just exhale.

————

Gary Grossman is retired Professor of Fisheries at University of Georgia. His poetry can be found or is forthcoming in 28 reviews, including: Verse-Virtual, Poetry Life and Times, Your Daily Poem, Poetica, Trouvaille Review, MacQueen’s Quinterly, Poetry Superhighway, Muddy River Poetry Review, The Knot, Delta Poetry Review, and Last Stanza Poetry Review. He’s published essays in Alaska Magazine and American Angler, and short fiction in MacQueen’s Quinterly. For 10 years he wrote the “Ask Dr. Trout” column for American Angler. Gary’s first book of poems, Lyrical Years is forthcoming in 2023 from Kelsay’s Aldrich Press. Hobbies include running, music, fishing, and gardening. Website: https://www.garygrossman.net/; Writing blog: https://garydavidgrossman.medium.com/ .

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