Can you hear me?

Are my words reaching you

or are you too in tune with your iTunes

to reach out to the person next to you

and have a meaningful conversation?

The people before us believe we are a generation

marked by false connection

that is isolation and emotional repression

in 140 characters or less.

We have become obsessed 

with fame and fortune,

proving to ourselves we are the best

though the lens of a camera

and the approval of others

instead of truly connecting with each other.

I am a goth, a witch, a child.

Most of the time my temperament is mild,

but when I see people who would rather

connect to a charger than a person,

I can’t help but want to scream

for the death of connections we’ve lost,

where human connection is paid as the cost

for a good wifi signal.

So I ask you,

Can you hear me?

                                                                                                      Dakota Wells

                                                                                                                   (my granddaughter)