THE LONELINESS OF A CODER
“Good night, everyone!”
One by one, they retreat to their rooms,
Drifting into dreams,
Resting for the day ahead.
But I remain.
In the dim glow of the living room,
Laptop perched on a blue table,
Wi-Fi connected, headphones on,
Soft LoFi hums through Spotify—
My only company.
VS Code flickers to life.
Electricity is nocturnal here,
A fleeting guest that only stays at night.
I must seize this moment.
An hour passes—
Then darkness.
The fan stops, screens fade,
Devices gasp for charge.
I crack the window open,
And the sound of crickets creeps in.
Midnight.
The world is asleep.
Everyone—except two.
A coder and his machine,
Locked in silent dialogue,
Building something that matters.
I wish my laptop could talk,
Wish it had a voice,
But it only obeys,
Processing instructions,
Devoid of emotions.
It cannot fill the silence,
Cannot break the solitude.
I exhale,
My own breath, startling me.
I make a sound—
Just to be sure, I still can.
Maybe I’m not lonely.
Maybe I’m just alone.
A lone wolf,
Building his own pack.
Copyright © Samuel Ogunleke | Year Posted 2025
|