Know Rhyme and Reason Contest
Alan Koshewa
Plugged In
Our daily assault from the digital business
Has led to a state of electronic dizziness,
A virtual world with no nooks and no crannies
And now even infants are tweeting their grannies.
No need any more for a grocery or college
Just order online and google for knowledge
Using Firefox, Bing, Yahoo or Chrome
Our orders and inquiries soon find a home.
With a tap of a finger you’re linked in to Linked In
And LED calendars need not be inked in
While Fitbit appraises your feet and your sleep
Our cookies detect what we sow, so to reap.
The bat of an eye activates Google glasses
And sends out a newsfeed to two million asses.
With continuous need for computer connections
We need the new software for virus protections.
We also need SIM cards and internet plans
And digital downloads for magazine fans.
When bored with our dinner companions, perhaps
We’ll find entertainment on one of our apps.
While checking our news alerts, TikToks, and Twitters
We may start to get a bad case of the jitters.
There are WhatsApp-type Apps and multiple Instagrams
And even an app that makes pie graphs and histograms.
With messaging, texting, sexting, and friending
Our choice of annoyances seem never-ending.
We’re iPodded, iPadded, iPhoned, and Kindled;
Without these devices we really feel swindled.
No need to consider if they’re overrated;
Just wait till next year; they’ll all be outdated.
Comment by the Judge: What a fabulous job using a multitude of poetic devices like rhyme, hyperbole, and alliteration to move this poem wildly across the page. Using humor for social commentary has a long tradition, and this poet wields words with humor and insight. I’m still laughing about infants tweeting their grannies.
Honorable mentions: Carol Frischmann, Debra Daniel