This is the first and (so far) only poem I have written. It was the inspiration for my first play “Influenced.”
It came to me in the middle of the night in a hotel in Bangkok. I woke up and started typing it into the notes on my phone. I went back to it a few days later and added an ending but I didn’t have to change it much from it’s current form.
A Social Medium
Tap, tap, double tap then onto Snap-chat:
“Hi guys, I have some exciting news-”
Feed. Scroll down and down.
Status updated but it’s belated because the algorithm doesn’t want you to know the latest.
Scroll again, one meme, one dream.
Oh… a death notice.
We’re living in a world where the most natural thing when someone passes is to let everyone know on their Facebook status.
You see the entire earth through this screen
But it doesn’t mean you need to feel like a failure
because you’re not making a living
through companies giving you everything for very little.
A sponsored post, products gifted on their story,
affiliated link but hashtag AF is more succinct.
Swipe up and sell me the dream that you seem to live
while I waste away with nothing to give.
It’s your life, live it, you only have one...
See how long it lasts
When hours a day are frittered away
As you swipe left, swipe right
Looking for a connection, a bit of affection.
We give away our likes on the daily but where is the love? Has it failed me?
Using my initiative, I sieve through the potentials
Sliding into your DM’s and wait, wait… wait…
Until you begin to hate yourself for even reaching out,
Making the first move, trying to prove we’ve pushed forward in society.
I can ask you out on a date.
This universe in my pocket connecting, affecting how I interact.
One buzz, one bing and that’s the thing that takes me away from looking at you face to face.
I try not to flick my eye as I pick up my phone and it’s gone. Broken.
Blinkers on, honing in on this one tiny thing with it’s bright blue light,
Nothing else is in sight.
Who knew, that as we grew with this social media convention
the most flattering thing you can give someone... is your attention.
