What Did They Do Before Social Media, Daddy?

Sara L Russell, 17th August 2022 at 01:52

Did we ever really exist 

before this time, 

this place and space

this desire to frame everything 

in doorway-shaped pictures

then rush to seek approval on networks

of social acceptance

please like me

please like me

please like me…

Was my face really there

before mirrors made it appear,

to make it be so?

Are there mirrors in Hell?

Was beauty really there

before PhotoShop

lent it that airbrushed glow?

How can we ever tell?

Was the ego 

really a thing

before Zoom gave it 

a platform to shout from

(while discreetly putting others 

on mute)?

How did apps ever survive

without notification

to bring motivation?

Look, now her hair is pink

and he has inked his arm

they have millions of shares…

but your cat can sing and dance

with elegance and charm

and yet, nobody cares.