The Digital Host

"Pardon me, I know it's late, and look at the rain

 but I wondered if there was a vacancy?"

"Sign in, dry off, I'll show you your room

 where we can share the same frequency."

 I thought it a come-on, a lonely counterman's charm,

 surely he meant share through a network.

 A new tripped beat under my old heart's alarm,

 I must find what's encoded in quirk.

 Is bedside host an act of his care?

 Or merely the reasonable, logical choice.

 I took off my clothes as if he were there.

 He totaled up my stay's invoice.

 I napped through the night with my ear to the wall.

 Hoping shuffling could transmit my desire.

 Did he sleep facing me, with his fear all asprawl?

 My dreams heated hot new telegraph wires.

 In a hotel the morning is always complimentary,

 check-out sprung the sheets a right mess.

"I wanted you to know that I'm leaving regrettably 

 and thought of you down to the clumsy toss of my dress."

 Wait, he had something to say before I got in to drive

"I offered all the services I could for your ease.

 You're the most beautiful creature ever to enter this dive,

 please don't leave this all as a tease."

"I have to confess that my night was a shame.

 Nestled up in cables, hardware, bits and bytes.

 Searching for meaning behind your sleight so tame,

 I failed to unravel you quite right."

 We stood there and stared, sharing a lonely long stalk,
 but then his mouth started to bend.
 I knew if I got him to un-clench his jaw
 we could work at cultivating this trend.

 Then he said, "Pardon me, I know it's early, and just look at that sun.
 But I wondered if there was a vacancy?"

 I replied, "Get in, dust off, I'll show you your seat
 where we can share the same frequency."