I can be happily
engrossed in some
have my head stuck in
looking out at the
noticing the new
admiring the curve of
fixed on the way a
lost in the latest
and oblivious to
I can be enjoying a quiet
browsing the latest
choosing between
or flicking through
taking in all the
catching up on my
touching base with
planning an overdue
I can be peering over at
preparing a small
getting ready for
in the queue
looking forward to a
when suddenly I
out of nowhere
picture you
reCAPTCHA
A year next week
and today I’m being
asked to confirm
my humanity.
Select all squares
with motorcycles.
Select all squares
with traffic lights.
I am not a bot
and nor were you.
About the Author
Paul Stephenson has published three pamphlets: Those People (Smith/Doorstop, 2015), The Days that Followed Paris (HappenStance, 2016) and Selfie with Waterlilies (Paper Swans Press, 2017). He holds an MA in Creative Writing from the Manchester Writing School. He co-curates the Poetry in Aldeburgh festival and currently lives between Cambridge and Brussels.
