Facebook Invites

by Paul Hellweg

Some people collect Facebook friends

like I once collected postage stamps,

now I’m collecting Facebook invites,

twenty-seven and counting,

each time declining politely

saying I’ve heard of people becoming addicted

and I’m afraid of that,

which is true,

but the greater truth is

my cerebral cortex

is already too cluttered, and

I’m trying to save a little space

for imagination.

I have

no television

no iPod or iPhone

no satellite radio,

nor anything that needlessly occupies

my neurons and synapses.

All I have is

angst

despair

pain

depression

and a penchant

for creating art

understandable

only to those

who need a little day-dreaming

to make it through

one more

day.

*acknowledgment: inspired by the poem “Engulfed” by Alishya Almeida, published in Asphodel Madness.