Zoom Frequent Flyer Miles

I’m a world traveler, learning time zones
and date changes before/after midnight.
I zoom from poetry events to writing
seminars and workshops; I’ve even
gone to a baking class, and all from
my desk chair.

I’ve booked more miles
in virtual time than in real time.
One Saturday afternoon, errands
done early, I zoomed into Dallas
at 3pm my time for a live event with
Joy Harjo, the US Poet Laureate, so
inspiring; then at 4pm, I raced off to
Riverhead, a town on the east end of
Long Island that I’ve been to once maybe
twice in my lifetime as a Long Islander,
and so glad I got there virtually, so good;
two hours later, a quick click off to Boston
before they locked the Zoom door at 6:15pm
and lucky to be the last open mic after
terrific features. I click off at 7:55pm,
refill my vodka tonic and make a run for it
to zoom to Kansas for a book launch for
a midwest poet laureate I read with
a few years back when he visited Long Island.

5,330 miles in 6 hours; no plane tickets,
no airport drive, no rent-a-car or hotel room,
no bad road food, no taxi/uber/bus, no lines,
no waiting, no way I could it without Zoom.

I’ve been to several stops in Britain,
to Amsterdam, so many United States,
I’ve lost track. A few stops, I didn’t know
where I was and it didn’t matter. It was all
amazing. I’ve made friends, kept several,
been inspired, delivered inspiration, spent
quality time with kindred spirits and
from a sideways perspective, I am grateful
for the pandemic for these experiences.
I’m hooked, zooming from now until
midnight my time forever.

~ J R Turek
June 26, 2021 Hour 9