‘The Social Network’

The Social Network
 
Rows and row of people. 
Face to the ground
Jerk slowly forward, 
not wanting to be found.
Their faces illuminated giving them away
But by what?
Facebook, snapchat, Instagram?
People in rows and rows,
Young and old. 
Friends and foes.
A man holding his son’s hand 
and in the other a phone.

The son looks up, asks a question, curious in tone
But then I hear a sigh, 
a groan, 
a moan
For his Dad just says ‘I’m busy’ leave me alone
Doesn’t even turn his head.
Instead
his eyes remain glued to the illuminating image 
he’s holding in his hand.
his thumb autonomously scrolling,
the unconscious crowd shoaling

Like fish, they form a pattern
a collective 'like' here, request there, emoji then.
In his small hands a little thing of plastic and glass and metal
born of the brain to birth what? 

The young boy puts his back in his pocket
And observing this scene
looks to the grey clouds 
looking for some sort of company,
forwards they gently float
blending into one above
and so, felling like the hidden sky,
the clouds, they just coat.