“He who steals the slightest amount from his friend is as if he stole his soul.”
– Bava Kama 119a
a vampire bat
flaps along the airwaves –
attuned to the sighs
of forlorn lives
seeking solace
//
a creature of darkness
sucking our life force
with prime-time
painless pinpricks
//
enveloping us in a web
of spidery channels –
while sedating us
with the remote waters of
Lethe
//
rendering us reflections
of reflected faces
on a shimmering screen –
a tease of immortality
//
broadcasted among the mildew
of empty episodes
forever
gone
Lamplighting 
As a child, watching TV was a necessity.
It served as a source of instant entertainment – providing an escape from the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life.
It was a world of refuge.
Only years later did I become aware of the magnitude of my mistake.
As described in this poem, I had allowed a “vampire” to suckle from HaShem’s most precious gift – LIFE.
This being said, everything that HaShem created in His world, He created for His glory.
Therefore this poem does not come to dismiss media which can improve our inner or outer worlds.
LikeLike
The metaphors are beautifully fantastical, disguising the depressing mundanity that really is screen addiction. It’s like painting a picture of someone trapped between two worlds, both which are still moving, and that really struck home.
LikeLike