Your password must contain 

some letters, some numbers, and at least one special character. 

Like me. 

Yes I know your password must contain

the names of people who matter. 

Your child, for instance. 

And her absurd year of birth. 

Is there a child left in this world who is not a password?

But how did the world come to believe

a password should contain important things? 

Because we never forget what is important?

What a farcical origin. 

Ideally, cream bun, your password must also contain former lovers.

After all they already are furtive asterisks. 

Your password must contain 

places from another life,

Like the streets that gaped at us as we walked holding hands.

How the old in their windows stared,

craning their necks, fanning their paunches, moving their jaws.

Remember how people used to look at us?

Like starving urchins gape at feasts of other people.

Your password must contain the days you never speak of anymore. 

A name you don’t take anymore.

And a date no one knows you still remember.

That way no one can hack you.

And your computer will never rebuke your password as “weak”; 

It will say, down a green line that becomes thicker, you are “strong”.

But then your computer may respond, 

@creambun78, your password must not contain, in any form, 

your old passwords.

Manu Joseph