Schadenfreude 2.0

Screams pour out of your handheld mobile device
Thick as molasses
Dark as the Devil's heart
Piercing my ears like mom's knitting needles

As you watch someone's anguish
After they ran over their own dog
As you watch the pain
Caused by a missed skateboard trick
As you watch the fear
From an especially cruel prank

The schadenfreude is strong with you today
With just the tiniest bit of spittle
Catching the sixty watt bare bulb light
And reflecting back in my direction
From where it nestles into the corner
Of your half opened mouth

The pleasure you are sucking in
From all the anguish fear and pain
Shown to you for almost free
Any time of the day
Is slowly filling you up
Pushing out empathy
Drowning the compassion
Kicking your pity right in the ribs

I fear the person that may come out the other side
After the continuous Fail Army video feeding frenzy

Will you still comfort me when I am sick?
Would you help me if I fell?

I don't even fear that you'd laugh at me
No

A greater worry is the lustful look that may cross your face
Lips slowly parting
Drops of spittle gathering
As you salivate
Eager to take in my pain fear and anguish
As I put on a personal show
Just for you
And your Schadenfreude two-point-oh

Aluminum Foil Influence

There's a thread of conspiracy

Sewn right into my headgear

Over under and whipstitched

In contrasting color

Constantly constricting my thinking

Slowly drawing itself tight

Until the blood flow is just about right

For alternative thinking to take place

It isn't very false

And it isn't very true

It's totally alternative

And tells me what to do

Nine sources tell me one thing

While one tells me another

Logic says one thing

But my gut screams "However...."

That one thing seems to comfort my thoughts

Coddling my mind

In cheap velour

From the bargain bin at K-mart

A blue light special of an idea

So I'll latch right onto that

It isn't very false

And it isn't very true

It's totally alternative

And tells me what to do

My head is now an alternative shape

Thanks to that too tight hat of mine

Made of shiny upcycled tinfoil

And whispering secrets to me all the time

I'll not question its authority

I'm way past that now

Two miles past the military checkpoints

Heading into Area Fifty-One

Helped by the invisibility afforded me

By that low tech high magick

Too tight sparkling custom made

Tightly stitched protective tinfoil hat

It's not very false

And it isn't very true

It's totes an alternative

Telling me what to do