Eyeballs glued to the screen,
teens bump shoulders in the hallway,
unaware that their bodies are not merely
vessels whose sole purpose is
to tap angry birds on a screen.

School is somewhat of an asylum
for weary eyes aching from
the persistent glow of a phone.
Under the table, eyes ravenously drink in
the newest promposal on Facebook.

Sporting events, even, can’t compare
to the appeal of
sending unflattering selfies on Snapchat.
And when the home team scores, the stands
are noisy with the sound of fingers tapping away.

A short reprieve for the phone, finally,
when the battery dies, resting
in the hands of its owner, who lies in bed at night
and curses himself for not charging it earlier.
For a fleeting moment, as the phone recharges,

a human reemerges and wonders
what to do with reality.