Safe
Shades shielding his eyes,
walkman plugs
in his ears,
chewing gum
in his mouth,
a butt between his lips -
he’s safe.
Yes, he’s safe from
thinking a thought.
The iPod is his filter
as he goes from one techno temple
to another.
All the digital and techno accoutrements
are not the accoutrements of democracy,
but rather the accoutrements of dictatorship.
Techno music at full blast and multiple flatscreens
blot out contemplation and conversation.
Keeping you preoccupied with noise
and fluttering images insures
that you will not be preoccupied
with anything else.
The games you’re playing
teach you to pull the trigger
and push the button of destruction,
without blinking an eye.
You’re being manipulated now,
and when the dictatorship intensifies,
you won’t see or hear anything
that’s much different
from what you’re seeing and hearing now.
The visual and audio changes
will be so minuscule
that you won’t even notice them.
- Herbert Kuhner
