New friends

New friends only know the
Nuts and bolts the
Gears the pistons 
Firing clever molten banter
At each other as we cross these shallow grooves of 
Alloy-ground-to-fine-grain coffee dates and dinners at the Thai.

Remote control intimacy
Only works in porno flicks—
This doesn't work for me this unoiled witty swordplay
This transmission of raw data
This market mechanistic ploy
To gather allies on the way.

They can't see the 
Clockwork indigo that
Springs to life inside my skull,
The forests of compassion rooted in instant connection
With soulmates harvested to date.

Nor, come to think of it,  can I see their bright forest for the trees.