# #software

2 poems

## [readwrite](https://chromato.graphics/readwrite)

have you ever  
had a girl cause  
engineering  
just for it, though

weeks of design  
on a one-off  
built for the thing —  
to program it

on the airplane  
commit to it:  
make it perfect,  
then install it

when you get there,  
show it slowly  
touch a curved shape  
feel its edges

unarchive it  
press it with force  
watch it open,  
animated

every app must  
have its settings  
even if they  
never vary

have you ever  
caused a toy to  
glow from within  
white light blinking

when you read it  
you can see it:  
why it matters,  
what you’ll put there

have you ever  
caused a thing to  
strip itself bare  
kernel panic!

this will only  
take a second,  
last a lifetime  
deep within you

type it all out  
hold it down now  
your domain, name  
hit the button

have you ever  
felt an object  
as it’s written  
becoming yours

## [gender.app](https://chromato.graphics/genderapp)

pull out my phone  
tap on the app  
needs to update…  
they always do

new gradient  
same icon shape  
wide colorspace  
hard to adjust

why do we all  
want to shapeshift?  
to be seen through  
filters we make

on the G train  
dark grey sweatshirt  
black leather boots  
riding crosstown

slider tempts me—  
drag it slowly  
no one else stares  
they just don’t care

this is my stop:  
girl in red dress  
heels to match her  
lipstick and tits

costume changes  
inside closets  
infinite fits  
incoherence

it’s not just me,  
everyone plays  
gender’s this game’s  
in-app purchase

micro actions  
& transactions  
never enough  
to fill the space

if i’m always  
searching for it,  
the right setting,  
flipping through them

will i know when  
i have nailed it?  
new release notes:  
patches the bugs

what if i’m stuck  
inside a loop?  
keep it running  
there’s no kill switch