Daily Archives: November 16, 2005

Beta Girls Go

Beta Girls Go
counting the holes in the ceiling tile
analyze the sex, index and file

measure the angle of the afternoon sun
measure the darkness when it’s done

This was my attempt to suggest the outline of the story of two driven, silicon valley programmers at the end of an office entanglement.

Geeks may be geeks — but even in that emotional netherworld, there are still unbreachable gulfs between men and women. As I imagine them, the woman has just broken off the relationship and the man is confused because she’s the one who is hurt and angry…

… just like the last girl,


Beta Girls Go

“version creep” is all she said
as she stared at her feet on the edge of the bed
“data drift” as she stood in the door
“we just don’t vector anymore.”

counting the holes in the ceiling tile
analyze the sex, index and file
measure the angle of the afternoon sun
measure the darkness when it’s done

beta girls come and beta girls go
leave not a mark upon his soul
beta girls beta girls beta girls beta girls go

pools of light and soul-black night
17 at first daylight
silent complex cleaning crew
wait to shave until they’re through

she gets to work just by noon
takes her laptop to the old break room
he trys not to look when he has to walk by
but as he closes the door he hears her cry

beta girls come and beta girls go
leave not a mark upon his soul
beta girls beta girls beta girls beta girls go

(C)2000 TK Major (2000-01-24)

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