by Robin Olson

I am from gossip.
From a place where bad reputations emerge from hidden enemies.
Where pain, struggle, and tears amuse those who cause them.
And compassion is overrated.
I am from bathroom whispers.
A place where friends can backstab and lie.
No consequences for the predator.
Only a lifetime of suffering for his victims.
Where has all the love gone?
Where is the importance of community and respect?
The smiles exchanged between strangers in the hall?
Vanished as we gaze into handheld gadgets more important than human contact.
Slipped through the supposed“maturity”we all gained after junior high.
Conquered by computer screens and iPhones.
With the click of a button, our love has dissolved.
Spitting on the once-cherished bonds we possessed.
We have all surrendered to the trends of our time.
Leaving the ones we used to love behind.