By Lisa Badner

Fran is my Friend on Facebook.
In the 90s, Fran and I were roommates, then girlfriends.
Dina is my Friend on Facebook too.
I cheated on Fran to be with Dina.
It was in Jerusalem and very dramatic.
Fran can see that I am Friends with Dina on Facebook
because Dina is on my list of Friends.
I Friend Fran’s new girlfriend Ellie,
since we are all pretty friendly.
Ellie Friends Dina. Ellie doesn’t know Dina,
but Ellie Friends all of her Facebook Friends’ Friends.
Ellie is Friends with Alan.
Alan and Ellie were boyfriend and girlfriend in the 80s,
before Ellie was gay.
Alan Friends me. I have never met Alan,
but I was girlfriends with his first wife, Deb,
when Deb was still dabbling.
We weren’t very friendly after that.
Alan and Deb are Friends on Facebook,
though I hear Deb may have recently died.
Fran and Ellie and Dina are also Friends with Deb on Facebook.
Tomorrow I’m going to Friend Deb too.

Lisa Badner’s writing has appeared in magazines including Rattle, PANK, Ping Pong, Mudlark, the Mom Egg Review, Fourteen Hills, New World Writing, and The Satirist. “This is Not an Obituary” in New Ohio Review Issue 20 received “Special Mention” in Pushcart 2018. Lisa’s full length poetry collection, FRUITCAKE, is forthcoming in 2022 with Unsolicited Press.

Originally appeared in NOR 20.