A furious hive of disgruntled denizens
flood the web with proclamations
their pompous unearned condescension
and bloated sense of self-importance
driven by a thirst for relevance.
Conspiracy theories are fires unchecked
fueled by streams of jubilant spite
as shares and retweets swim through the Internet
contaminating computers, infecting iPhones
creating an ocean of poison.
and day after day
we stare into this cesspool
absorb its venom through incredulous eyes
so the spin, the lies, the hate, the fury
worm their way into our anxious minds
until we start to twitch
with the urge to respond
to slap them down
set them straight
to stomp on their unjustified smugness.
But this virus thrives on provocation.
Stern objections or avid confirmations
all provide the same validation. They say:
I’m listening. Your opinions matter.
You’re someone important.
You do have a life after all.
