socialites in poetry

Only on social media is the statement
“I AM FOLLOWING YOU NOW”
flattering and monetizable
instead of deeply unnerving.

Only on youtube is begging
at the end of every statement
“LIKE ME, PLEASE LIKE ME, PLEASE LIKE ME”
not only not the ramblings of
an insecure child but also
a sound economic strategy.

Only on the internet two-point-oh
are spoken demands to SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
more wastefully disposable than
the twenty subscription cards
in a doctor’s office magazine.

FRIEND REQUESTS used to be
“you wanna join me to watch sports?”
“can you help me clean off this porch?”
“can you give me a lift to the airport?”
now they are how you find out
people you went to high school with are
still alive and still emotionally needy.
Now we all sound like Frankenstein
“Friend? Friend?”

INSTAGRAM used to be what you’d call
a really punctual drug dealer, I dunno.
Now the drug we’re dealing in
turns out even more dangerous:
Validation.

I AM FOLLOWING YOU NOW
I AM FOLLOWING YOU NOW
it still sounds creepy to me
I guess I’m just old.