a short sentence explaining life in the cloud

In the middle of the night, you wake,

check your cell phone to see what time it is

and two hours later, you check, again to see

if you are properly rested before you get out bed,

you check the thermostat to decide if you are comfortable,

you read hometown obituaries online to find out if you are alive,

you check a weather app to see what to wear,

you post on Facebook to prove you are alive,

you check back often to see you are liked and loved,

you read health blogs to see if you are eating right

and if any new diseases are stalking you,

you rise from a nap and check the thermostat, again

to decide if you are chilly or hot,

you read your friends’ social media to find out

if your government is plotting against you

or if you should be plotting against your government,

you order groceries, personal hygiene products and books online,

you review web news to see if you should be happy, mad or sad,

you check entertainment sites to decide what’s good to watch,

the latest on the royal family’s fractured fairytale,

and celebrity bikini pictures to feel even more insecure

about your body image and genetic heritage,

you read self-help articles to find out if you are enjoying sex

or why you are too bored to give a good f**k,

you check Facebook, again to see if you are still liked and loved,

you surf the latest news alerts to see if your concern for others

or your lifestyle qualifies you in the eyes of fascists as a socialist,

you look at your phone one last time to reassure yourself

that your friends still like and love you

and it informs you it is time to go to bed so you won’t wake

in the middle of the night and check your cell phone

to see what time it is.

3-8-21