Warning: This work has been rated 16+.
Free verse. The purpose of this piece is to foreshadow the type of lifestyle that may be led by American children who were born around 5 years post-YouTube. It describes some of the trends that influence the lives of children of today (e.g., social media, organic bedding, marijuana legalization).
Her tiny mouth is open
She is smiling
His tiny mouth is open
He is drooling
Two twin babies cuddle in a nest of soft, periwinkle blankets,
Which are hypoallergenic
And 100% made from organic materials
Where is their mother?
Mom’s choosing a filter for this image
Now mom’s posted it on Instagram
Only a few months old, and the twins already have an online identity.
~
Two toddlers strapped into booster seats
The radio is tuned into Top 40
“Mommy, what’s an anaconda?” She asks
Mom was busy watching Netflix at a red light
~
Two children arrive at the restaurant
Now they’ve been waiting for 20 minutes
But He is not impatient
He is slumped forward
His head is bent down
What’s that, in his hand?
It’s an iPhone 8
He is texting his friends
They’re telling dirty jokes
His friend just sent him a link
Oh, no
Don’t look at that website
~
Mom is always working, because she is single
But it’s okay, because Mom’s hired a babysitter
Named TV
Oh, no
What is that show?
It’s Game of Thrones
The pretty princess follows a trail of crucified children to a slave city
She almost pukes
~
Two pre-teens are celebrating Christmas
But they are not religious
He has always known that Santa was a sad, sweaty man in costume
Trying to make money by posing with spoiled children on his lap
She has never known the baking of cookies to be a Christmas tradition
They don’t know of any Christmas traditions
Mom hands Him the latest gaming console and a new iPhone
Mom hands Her a paper-thin laptop and an iPad
More screens to sit in front of
~
Two pre-teens are at school
She takes a math test
On a computer lab computer
He has a science quiz
It’s on an iPad
After school,
She starts a twerking club
He plays tennis
From his sofa
On his Wii
~
Two enigmas drift away from their mother
In the same household, but not living together
They live on the ‘net now
They do not speak with Mom, because she can’t understand them
Wait, “ship” means what, now?
Mom can’t keep up with the semantic change anymore
Things no longer mean what she thought they meant
When did “nigga” become a term of endearment?
~
Two teens have some free time
She is surfing Tumblr and reading fanfictions
She takes a break every now and then
To read messages in her Facebook group chat
It has over 20 people
Some of them live in Singapore
He is browsing questionable subReddits on Incognito mode
He stops when a friend Snapchats him
Asking him to hang out
He leaves to walk to his friend’s house
For a few minutes he becomes aware
Of how beautiful daylight is
He arrives at his friend’s house
They pull an all nighter to play League of Legends
Always in front of screens
~
Two young adults are visiting doctors
She needs glasses
And has an early onset of osteoarthritis in her fingers
He has obstructive sleep apnea
And high cholesterol
Consequences of a sedentary lifestyle
~
Two adults are working
She launched a global initiative to end child trafficking
An issue she learned about in first grade
When she downloaded her first news app
Her organization has saved and educated nearly 500,000 children
He was the catalyst for an international renewable energy revolution
When he created and marketed cheap and efficient all-purpose solar panels
Successful because he grew up online, where the world is interconnected
He knew how to thrive in a multicultural market
~
Two twins have their own families now
He is in an interracial relationship
She is in a gay one
He never told his son about the tooth fairy
She lets her adopted daughter smoke marijuana
~
Two elderly people order food with AmazonFresh
They place the order by pressing a button
On the arm of their hover chairs
~
Two twins die by requesting active euthanasia.
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140,400 Literary Works • 673,156 Reviews
Hey.
Oh god, this is so good. A great topic expressed in a great way, I loved it!! So good! Hats off. This thing got me. The ending, with euthanasia, I hope we all too don't die that way, I've always dreamed of a peaceful death, on my bed with a white rose placed in my hand, okay sorry I'm going off topic. :p
No flaws, no glitches (psst, I overlooked some things because I loved this poem so much) The Americans part in your A/N, its for all countries haha.
Kudos.
Keep writing and stay blessed.
xoxo
Wow, thank you so much!
Hello there, Metamorphosis!
I thought this was a great poem. It was horrible, because they were only on screens their whole lives and they never realised the beauty in the world, yet they saved lives in the end with their careers. I think the damage done outweighs the good, but you expressed this wonderfully and it tore me apart inside (in a good way!).
It is a bit confusing with you using he and she. In the beginning, both are italicised. This is fine if you wanted an emphasis on them. Later, they are both capitalised. This also makes them stand out, but if you wanted them to be that way then you need to correct the italicised ones. In the last parts of it, you just left them normal as he and she. You need to decide between these 3 forms of he and she so that there is a consistency throughout your poem.
This was the one part I was questioning:
I get that she almost pukes because of horrifying things she's watching at a young age, but throughout the poem you have shown that the twins are indifferent to these types of things, even liking them. This just doesn't quite fit in, so maybe you can either change it or explain a little more.
Altogether, this was marvellous! (I secretly think it should be horror XD) I hope to read some more of your poems or other writings soon!
-Falconer
Thanks for your advice
Haha...gah this made me feel terrible about the future! Good job!
So, Satira here for team Stitch, here for a review.
Well, I liked this, but I think some things could use some tweaking- for example, the part about '100% organic materials' is a stroke of genius, but using the word 'materials' makes the line weaker- naming a specific material would probably make it stronger.
Why twins? they seem to be going in more or less the same direction. there is no point for them to be twins. There is no reason for there to be two of them.
Also, I think naming some of the perks of the future would be great, instead of the horrible side affects (high cholesterol! AARGH!). I know it seems like a pretty bleak new world to us, but there has to be something good to come out of it...right?
Anyway, I like the concept, and keep up the good work!
~Satira