Shattered by Sia Reddy

A raging pandemic,

Triggering loneliness,

that only weighed down.

As days pass

Trying to stay connected,

I succumb to social media.

An objective act or a mere pose,

I share a post.

It first gave voice to my silent soul,

But I’m beginning to lose sight of what's essential.

Gratified covers,

Probing for satisfaction.

My self-esteem, tied up with the mere number of likes.

Everyday, the black hole only becomes more mesmerizing.

Far past the horizon,

I’m being engulfed.

I’m drained, and can no longer fight.

A slave of the online community,

but it's too late to turn back.

Selfies with enchanted backgrounds.

Reflecting a glorious life,

On a day filled with melancholy.

Is it all a mirage?

They have it all,

I don’t.

Filter after filter,

each imperfection covered.

I’m curating myself,

For how else do I belong?

Cover up the truth.

Disguise it in the lies they want to see.

I am no longer invisible.

I have an identity.

An online identity,

But is it a fantasy?

An illusion to the eye?

Cherishing every like,

As if it's a treasure.

But is it all glass?

Will it shatter beneath the pressure of my reality?

A decorated package,

Ready to be sold.

Glitter, and a bow.

But empty inside.

The art of hiding,

is the art of happiness.

Or so I thought.

But the zeal is vanishing.

Too many lies,

I’ve lost track of the truth.

Will I ever separate the two?

Sadness,

Anxiety,

Frustration,

Grow by the day.

Scrolling for hours,

A sharp image contrasts the others.

A celebrity, with a life of glister and glee.

But the makeup, the perfect hair, the filters,

Everything is missing.

Just her natural self,

Messy hair and pajamas.

How does one have so much courage?

To show her true self to millions.

Her confidence lingers in my thoughts,

A sudden realization follows.

My online identity is as fragile as glass.

Look in the mirror,

Telling myself I’m too powerful for these never-ending filters.

I have a voice,

Beneath the lies.

Social media may be a mirage,

But I’m not a fantasy,

Or a mere illusion.

I’ll make real connections,

Ones deeper than just the surface.

I’m not glass.

I won’t be blown into their contours,

And all the colors they adore.

I won’t be shattered.