Real and the Play-Doh of the Now

By Cliff Lake

 

Real and the Play-Doh of the Now

 

Industrial revolution,

Ersatz evolution,

Substance substitution.

“Progress”

Plastic-wrapped changes,

Pre-packaged, presented, pre-approved,

Delivered sanitized and pastel-colored.

Transistors and silicon processors,

More than conveniences,

The user becomes the processed.

No more woody scent of a cool eve,

No more untamed posies to brighten a morn,

No more unbound brook or liberated hedge,

To remind of what was left behind,

Forgotten by the aged,

Unknown to youth,

Buried beneath casinos and chaos,

Mown down and resurfaced.

 

What replacement cheer is now pursued?

What new gods are sought?

What diversions now entertain,

Battery-powered and sterile?

Expanded access breeds total arrest,

Binge-powered dopamine dump.

Downcast eyes burned by blue light,

Atrophy claiming muscles,

(Though not those texting thumbs).

Carefully chosen information doses,

Pre-selected and wrapped in the right flavor,

Consumption by credo.

Camping by the millions on the couch,

Chained by the charge cord.

 

Destination vacay by decree the new design,

Wildlife safely behind the glass barrier,

Conserved for future generations via Exit 32.

Entertainment venues replete with adventure:

Facsimiles of characters found in film and stories,

Representative of the contrived,

And performing in animatronic realism.

The gift shop is on your way out.

Every locale comes complete with:

The requisite burger joint,

The bougie sushi service,

And the must-have taco stand.

Hunting for food needs only the internet connection

As the weapon of choice.

 

Fear is measured in the gas gauge,

By the battery icon,

In credit score.

Joy is found on the screen,

In the level-up,

In brand names accrued and trends followed.

Silence has become too deafening to hear,

Thoughts must be approved by the masses,

Creativity is measured against popularity.

Don’t go for a walk if you don’t want to be asked

“Why?”

Value is measured in cryptocurrency and fashionable follows,

Solitude is questioned.

The oppressor poses as the benevolent master,

Doling out state-approved experiences to the masses,

As if they are needed,

As if they have benefit,

As if they are real,

Instead of being the control mechanisms that they are.

 

I watched a squirrel today. And some birds.

 

I expect to be collected soon.

 

Cliff Lake 9/6/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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