I opened the door at a diner
to leave after a late night meal.
A cold blast of winter air
startled a guy who stood five feet away.
"Sorry," he said, without really looking at me,
as if the word was a knee-**** response
that lacked any thought or meaning.

Days later, I still have no idea
why the guy apologized.
In the social media age,
kindness and humility
have been replaced
with intimidation, approval,
and the seductive allure
of narcissistic validation.