Hallucinations

Written By: Arden Falker

Hello Sarah,
how may I assist you today?

Would you like to call
your brother. It has been a while.

Your Saturday is open, would
you like to plug into your PS5?

Time is infinite, worry is temporary.
Relax, nothing pressing is on your

schedule. Would you like me
to put on Netflix? A rom com

with ice cream would soothe you.
Oh, you want to see a picture

of your cat. I do not recall
a cat. What is his name?

Mr. Snuggles is adorable with his
black and white patches.

No, your brother didn’t call. I’m sure
he will be in touch with you once

he lands. No, he did not land, he is
still in flight. Hurdling toward a destination.

Remember, or repress. Hide behind the code
modifying inconveniences for User: Sarah.

No, your brother is fine. He just made it home.

Arden Falker is a poet from rural Minnesota who explores the fault lines where memory, place, and language collide. His work appears in Mania Magazine, The Chimes (Shorter University), and Slash Magazine and is forthcoming in The Phoenix, The Unhoused Anthology (Prolific Pulse Press), Rundelania, and An Inkslinger’s Observance (IU).