I often think
we lost our innocence
as a culture
somewhere in the 1980’s
or maybe the 90’s.
It isn’t a new thought,
but one that troubles me
nonetheless.
There is something
about the idea of
going to work
and never once
looking at a screen
that is so
heartbreakingly
beautiful,
something so simple and
clean about
putting a pen to paper
speaking to people
face to face
dialing a telephone
with a rotary.
It is painful
knowing we can
never go back
to a time before
pixilated light and
instant messenger
and texting.
I guess they thought this
about the phonograph
and the electric light
and the first
television set.
I keep thinking
that was different
but maybe it wasn’t
so much.
