A Good Talking-To

I no longer talk much to humans,
in fact, sometimes I don’t talk at all.
At the supermarket checkout, the kiosk
instructs me verbally and on screen
on weights and prices and sales,
all monitored by a mute attendant.

My banking and investing are almost always
an on-screen tapping of number and letters,
as is the customer satisfaction survey,
for I know that calling customer service
is Neanderthal and gives me a human
who’s still learning English pronunciation.

And when I am talked to, it’s
more often than not Alexa or the robots
on the drugstore and health insurance phones,
which with infinite patience and inflexibility
tell me that I’ve made a mistake and
instruct me without guidance to correct it.