2024-01-04

poetry/s/small_world_theory.txt

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+Small World Theory
+2023-01-23
+
+***
+
+The little graphs on my phone
+show that web traffic has slowed,
+that whoever's been attacking
+my far-away digital home
+hasn't yet chosen to leave me alone.
+
+Have you ever heard
+of the Small World
+Theory?
+Let me explain it quick.
+It's rather easy.
+
+The premise is that,
+even though there are just shy
+of eight billion people on this planet wide,
+on both sides
+of the hardware
+software
+OSI layer
+divide,
+the network is smaller than such a high
+number leads
+one to believe.
+
+So either
+these past months I've been popular
+even without the referers
+to back the numbers
+up
+(the people have to come from *somewhere*)
+or I've been too passionate in my love
+and I caught the hateful eye
+of someone who would rather I shrivel up and die.
+
+But then why choose me?
+Is it because I look easy
+to take down
+even though my whole life I've been finding workarounds?
+There's nothing that I'm selling,
+so financial harm can't be it.
+Is it just
+for evil fun?
+Just to stir up shit?
+
+It's certainly been disruptive.
+
+The Internet makes it look like
+there's millions who want my hide,
+but if I were to say my name
+to any real-world person I come across,
+they'd shrug their shoulders,
+say, "Who's that?" and then move on.
+I don't have any real fame,
+nor have I ever yearned
+for the fifteen minutes of public shaming be my turn.
+I'm not equipped to handle an existence
+where everything is under constant surveillance.
+
+I think a steady babbling stream
+is more my speed.
+Don't you agree,
+Jett?
+I'd like to sit at the shores
+of one of the rivers of Sablade
+with you, tucked away
+where nobody can hurt me anymore.
+Like a router only on for an hour a day.
+Get your outside business done
+and then we'll again shut the gates.
+
+***
+
+CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (c) Vane Vander