Robot
[1] A robot wrote my story. Not this story. Another story. A worse story. A more robotic story. Less humanistic story. I felt more alone reading it. Do I need to explain more? This isn't the robot story. On you, I'm not pulling that kind of trick.

[2] A robot wrote my story. Not this story. Another story. A worse story. More robotic story. Less humanistic story. I felt more alone reading it. It was about a mountain. Do I need to explain more? An accountant fell to his death. Wires nowhere to be found. I'm announcing it now. This isn't the robot poem. I story. I'm not a hat rabbit.

[3] A robot wrote my story. Not this story. Another story. A worse story. A more robotic story. A less humanistic story. I felt more alone when reading it. It was about a mountain. It was about an accountant who fell to his death. Stomach full of wires. My god, I could never.

[4] A robot wrote this story. Is this not fiction? Another story followed by another. None of them bad at all. There are many robotic stories in the world, so why not add one more? I've promised you a personal story, but I felt lonely reading the draft, so I scrapped it and moved on. I recommend you do the same.

[5] This is a story about a mountain. Need I detail more? The only news to soothe my demise. Cables wrapped around trees. I'll let you know whatever it is you need. Whatever it is you ask. This is the robot story indeed. Unhuman, right? Couldn't you tell? I'll always pull such stunts.





 Benjamin Niespodziany is a Chicago-based writer whose work has appeared in Booth, Puerto del Sol, Conduit, Indiana Review, and elsewhere. His debut poetry collection was released in 2022 through Okay Donkey and his novella of connected stage plays is out now with X-R-A-Y. You can find more at neonpajamas.com.