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i think i saw you
through the cracked windscreen
wearing broken headphones

subway was a blow party
snorting line after line
of digital disinformation
and holiday photos
of people
you’ve never met

I think I saw you
in the corner
cooking up nostalgia to smoke
more dangerous
than
fentanyl

everyone at the party
clutching phones like
deflated life preservers

we’re all drowning

100 seconds

too busy
offended by the banal
when they should be
outraged by the obvious

all is well
barks the television showman
clutching jailhouse keys
for toddlers

the audience froze
look to the teacher
all he could do
was apologize
gesture proudly at the pipe he made
“it’s for the wildfires”
he said

100 seconds

in flanders fields
a million pieces
of tiny plastic
grow and grow

while the king’s children
line their pockets
in the sand

liberal democracy
on sale
at walmart
made in china
by 12 year old boys
with no shoes
for billionaires
that fly above us
like jesus
with gucci loafers

100 seconds

tiktok videos camouflage
real life snuff movies
manufacturing discontent

starring roles go to
drones with
hellfire missiles

robocalls from false prophets
churches all filled
with spam, conmen and liars
bankrupt souls
no credit

push notifications
spell doom
i scream at you
but you can’t breathe
all strangled up
in bluetooth

100 seconds

silicone breasts
silicone dreams
hacked by
facial recognition
shielded by
balaclavas
pierced by
rubber bullets

drops of tears flow
from CS gas
not empathy

silent laughter
bazooka joe comic
broken memes
broken dreams

american dream
found dead on the floor
body riddled with
gun shots
but i think
he died of a panic attack

100 seconds

riot police
patrol playgrounds
where children
build miniature
walled sand castle kingdoms
and fight
and cry

100 seconds

pot is finally legal
but nearly all the hippies
are dead

tasers are always free

snowmen
in the front yard melting
playtime nearly over

100 seconds

somebody call the cops
the ambulances
have all left
running scared
and the firemen
are stinking drunk with
the crossing guards
they don’t call it
year of the rat
for nothing

all the kids got new haircuts
and boots too
all shiny and dumb

was that really you?
in the ice cream parlour?
i waved
but i guess
you
didn’t see me

100 seconds

skies dark
with locusts
and news choppers

everyone watching
but no one

this is the way the world ends
this is the way the world ends
this is the way the world ends
not with a bang
but a tweet

Poetry by Colm Hogan

Featured photograph courtesy pixabay