placements

car insurance in my country depends

on how willing the car owner is

to be surveilled. there’s a better rate

if you allow them to hitch a ride

on your smartphone. you then

automatically drive more prudently

because a tracking algorithm analyzes

where you go and when

how you brake and corner

how smoothly you drive

and your deviations from your routines.

you are placed

in categories from Excellent to Good

and presumably all the way down

to Reckless/Criminal; but naturally

this poet never wants to learn

about those evaluative placements.

he is for the straight and narrow.

he will obey all traffic laws

of which he is aware

except for a little fudging on the speed limit–

and that fudging

may be keeping him

from placement

in the Superb category

if any. but, hey,

even limitations

have their limits.