Josiah Vermont

Likes & Hearts
-Josiah Vermont

Now the robots are up with me all night
and most of the bards have long gone to bed
Soon the only true chords will be the ones played live
and in the songbooks of our heads
Online they ask for ‘gifts’ and Likes and Hearts
hoping for quick and easy wealth
They’re clueless to what true love is
because they truly only love themself
If I can’t trust you with a little
then you know I can’t trust you with a lot
If I can’t leave you with keys or wallet or phone
how can I trust you with my heart?
Your walk is symphony in motion
Your sigh is melody in my ears
But a gamble made hastily in emotion can be costly
and have me doing time in tears

And if I can’t trust you with my sadness
there’s no point we even start
If you’re a different character out of my presence
then method acting is your art
Forget building on the dreams we shared
if this was always a facade
Can’t ask for your hand on bended knee
when the dating stage has been so hard
Your quality time is consumed by Likes and Hearts
so when I’m gone I guess I won’t be missed
If your universe consists of making posts
ask AI for a synthetic kiss
I need somebody soft and genuine
Someone sincere, focussed and here
You tell me you could be with anyone
speaking into a handheld digital mirror

You’re ‘post-it pretty’ honey
but that won’t make you beautiful inside
Can you tell me how you were created?
Pick my brain? Display a beautiful mind?
Paint me a picture of your future
Does it continue on after death?
Are you a weak fence that gives in too easily
or do you fight savagely ‘til the last breath?
I’ve been entrusted with faithful soldiers
and called up at the table of the King
I’ve stood all night with weapons of war drawn
and never relaxed until the morning
But you’re obsessed with these opinions
scribbled by strangers on a cloud
When cat’s got your tongue face to face
here in flesh, talking out loud

Tonight I didn’t want it watching me
so I pulled out the TV plug
Got tired of propaganda and radiation
Apps riddled with viruses, worms and bugs
They destroy our relationships
Creep and steal our children’s minds
Each adult is narcissistic
Every soul is becoming blind
And if your mind still craves these Likes and Hearts
your eyes would stray easily for glittering gold
You’ll wander for attention and then affection from strangers
While I bleed out demagnetized, vacant, growing cold
Now you glance up from your idol
like Jezebel painting her face
And when our song plays and you don’t want to dance
you say you could never be replaced

Likes and Hearts are all I see
in this world inside your head
Say you need and believe in a man to lead
but those are empty words lightly said
You’re not displaying any virtue
sharing posts and influencer’s quotes
You want the house and cars and designer bags
but you haven’t been taking notes
And if you fall for glittering gold
you’ll sell out for temporary fame
You’ll fall for tall smiling strangers
and get duped when they play their games
All I wanted was a future
with someone who would keep it real
But you’re chasing Likes and Hearts
instead of our original deal