We all have a babysitter,
she’s not family, per se.
She moved into our home
and it seems she’s here to stay.
Whether we’re alone at home
or driving in our car,
we turn to her for sage advice
no matter where we are.
She makes us think we’re safe with her,
when placed within her care,
and so we never hesitate
to run to her and share.
She watches as we work
and even when we play.
Waiting there, within our reach,
when we’ve something new to say.
She’s listening to our conversations.
Look closer you will find,
for some odd reason, I don’t know,
we just don’t seem to mind.
It didn’t used to be this way,
our words were all our own,
whether written in a letter
or spoken through a phone.
Reporting everything we do,
we trust her anyway.
We know there are no secrets.
She’s there both night and day.
Our private correspondence?
…with her, there’s no such thing.
She’s reading every single word.
What secrets did you bring?
Think about the phones we hold
that track our every move,
the best form of surveillance.
We all know that it’s true.
Willing participants, we’ll never escape,
no matter what we do.
We hem and haw, and complain a lot,
as she silently watches us stew.
She understands what we do not;
those things we won’t let go.
Holding hostage what we want most;
the “friends” who we don’t know.
~ elr
Image: ID 339874188 © Nicoleta Ionescu | Dreamstime.com