Out of Tune

I walked in thinking "same old faces,"

The comfort zone, the easy click.

But then they turned, in bright, strange places,

And something gave a sudden kick.

A dozen faces, smooth and young,

Their laughter sharp, a foreign sound.

A band I’d never heard was sung,

On air that felt profoundly bound

To something new, a different speed.

My own voice felt like rusty wire.

They scrolled their screens, a desperate need

To share a digital wildfire.

I watched the glow, a scattered gleam,

And knew I’d stepped out of the dream,

Left on the curb.