My Toy Watch
︎︎︎ James Zoller
︎ Jan 28, 2025
There’s this video I watch of us.
Whenever your presence feels faint and distant,
I permit the specter of your warmth
to gently pull me into the fog.
It feels like home,
even though I’m not sure where home is anymore.
Pity strikes.
Videos are videos.
Videos don’t tell you to stop smoking cigarettes;
videos don’t smile at you when you wake up.
I return to reality.
The mirage recedes.
I am faced with a stark reminder:
I exist merely within the ripples of your presence.
Whenever your presence feels faint and distant,
I permit the specter of your warmth
to gently pull me into the fog.
It feels like home,
even though I’m not sure where home is anymore.
Pity strikes.
Videos are videos.
Videos don’t tell you to stop smoking cigarettes;
videos don’t smile at you when you wake up.
I return to reality.
The mirage recedes.
I am faced with a stark reminder:
I exist merely within the ripples of your presence.
James Zoller is an NYC-based writer.