No writer goes without giving a tongue-in-cheek, somewhat hyperbolic critique of the circles in which they sometimes find themselves. Here’s mine.
.
We share pictures of books
Show off our reading pace so everyone looks.
Pat ourselves on the back for having beaten our friends to it,
Be the first to blog, tweet, and hope the bubble applies “likes” to it.
We quit our news feeds to quiet the noise.
Yet feed news feeds with the sound of our own voice.
It’s all supply and demand you see,
I post my thing and demand that you read.
Yes, we like those we think can, or may, or will, advance our career.
And only add those who can pad our stats to show off our appeal.
Heaven help the soul who seeks to participate.
This is a “community” that doesn’t reciprocate.
We’ll sit in silence and execute our higher responses
While pushing our own intellectual repertoire up your noses.
If you speak outside the paradigm, you can be sure to be hated.
(This, however, is never openly stated.)
Not publicly of course,
fans, followers and friends might just as openly disendorse us.
It would impact our numbers; steal our thunder.
Outdo, be outone, but don’t overdo the outdo, or your membership is done.
Don’t rock the boat, cause these inflated egos don’t float.
Simply, don’t! Not even with quotes.
Our prime pedestals should appear dressed prim and proper,
Should be camera ready, because we’re the only real show stoppers.
If you serve with ambition and don’t provoke our progressive suspicions,
and as long as your not seen as competition,
you’ll fit in with this cult of neo-Gnosticism.
Ode to the wall of virtual snobs.
.
(©RL2016)
Image: Raphael Koh
‘Proximity & activity don’t always equal connectivity’ – Lysa TerKeurst, Uninvited, p.43
Rod Lampard 