Electric Grapevine

By Cliff Lake

 

Electric Grapevine

 

What rumor rides the wind?

What innuendo was spoken?

What gossip grows?

The vultures scan for scandal.

Noses poised for the faintest whiff,

Prurience and lechery ignite them,

The salacious detail energizes.

Drama-shy at home,

They collect low stories.

Or provide detail unmentioned,

That they may seem more knowing.

Hunched over their dim screens,

Which fails first,

Their eyesight?

Or their goodwill?

Which is easiest to live without?

Too hungry for the next carnage,

They long for the misstep,

A feast in real time,

Dregs consumed in electronic impulse,

And not written for TV.

Shock upon shock,

Delivering the endorphins they’re hooked on,

All for the cost of some electric,

And the all-purpose wi-fi.

A clean addiction this.

Streaming something close to real life,

But removed enough to keep their hands clean,

And their consumption soiled.

The next hearsay is tomorrow,

They’ll be watching.

 

Cliff Lake 6/18/2024

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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