There are no maps out here

in the wild blue

just oceans of screens

and their masters

interfacing in private

in public

drooling

like meth addicts

indifferent

to the pressure

to be normal

like generations past

with their rulebooks

and antiquated etiquette

ignorant to the blurred line

between real life and netiquette

searching for answers

on devices they condemn

contradicting themselves

in an attempt to understand

just not as well

not nearly as well

we’re all out here alone, man

riding our screens

like glass bottom boats

on spaces between

***

This is the twenty-second poem of my personal 30-day poetry challenge to break away from the machine to think about things that don’t matter. This poem was inspired by an article in the September 2017 issue of The Atlantic about screen time, written by Jean M. Twenge. I encourage you to read the article. – Jim

Taming the Beast
Pride

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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