Credit for Living*

"Let's 'Insti' this."
And they stopped while I climbed higher
To where the rock met the sky
And there they were; low-fi *click* apply
Filtered photographed faces. Memories of the places
They stopped living to create the illusion that they were.
Memorializing the occasions they left their friends of flesh and blood to find
Filters, followers, and friend requests.
Virtual validation. Credit for living comes in comments
(please comment), clicks, and likes.
Who would have guessed
That this apple would be rotten
That so soon people would have forgotten
 To unplug, sign-out, log-off, and live.
Afraid to disconnect from the umbilical cord that keeps them connected
That when unplugged
All 647 of their friends weren't there-
Like they expected.
Holed up in #hashtags and hidden behind 'Hudson' and 'Hefe'
And deaf
To the sounds outside their earphones.
Face to face conversations
interrupted by ringtones
The people they prefer are pixelated.
But please, I have a pulse.
No login or password are required
Veins and arteries run through me
Not wires.
Ipod, Iphone, Icloud, Itouch
I feel.
And I'd kneel
And beg you to come back
To a world where your emotions aren't all Times New Roman.



*This is a first draft. I may revise it later.