Xerography

It's not just the repetition,
that each night you expect a copy
of last night, the night
before, the night before that night before.

It's that sometimes you just need to stop
and think about those Greek roots—

ξηρός (dry) γραφία (writing)—
and remember how even a toner cartridge
needs charging

before, when you are finally asking it to perform,
her pages really start to flow.