I’m linking this poem to the wonderful dVerse Poets Pub community. It’s Open Link Night, which means any kind of poetry form or topic goes!
The Rival
Google in grey-green dawn
search the directory for images of the rival
knowing only her profession and nationality
you stumble on pictures of doting mammas enclutched by wild-eyed bambini,
sunglass posers posting nothing but world travels and bliss
and Facebook status confirms indeed their elevation,
one splendour in tattoos and bikini against an anonymous beach background…
Which to choose?
Which one to spit?
You don’t know why you need to stick the thorn in deeper
or dig at the wound oozing with rank pus.
You let their names perform saltos on your tongue,
savour their multiple vowels, feel the firmness of foreign consonants,
their flesh, their purpose, their youth… and cry foul.
You cannot fixate on any one
so they form a togetherness, a ripple army
of seduction and accusation:
‘you neglect so he’s mine’.
Meanwhile your own dereliction
your ruin, your addiction,
howls night after night
in has beens, what ifs and too lates.
findingtimetowrite 
Oh that green-eyed monster reflected in the dawn googling starts this one off so well and then builds to that shattering ending full of regrets…
It’s always the early hours of the dawn that find us wide awake and overflowing with bad thoughts, right?
Indeed!
I really like the way you depict that feeling when you see people apparently having such perfect lives, Marina Sofia! And Facebook and other social media are notorious for having those ‘my life is perfect!’ kinds of posts. You’ve captured it beautifully here.
I suppose it’s to be expected that people only post things that are interesting/different/enviable, but there does seem to be a sense of competition. Especially regarding one’s children, I find.
The social media has spawn hatred and devious trolling that are negatively impacting our lives ~ I try not to be on FB too much as there seems to be a competition of whose having better and richer lives ~ I specially like your ending stanza, it is an addiction of “has beens, what ifs and too lates.”
My friends are scattered all over the globe, so FB has been useful to stay connected, but I’m not much of a fan of it either.
This is so well expressed. I use Facebook now more often to read articles from places such as the New York Times, PBS, National Public Radio, etc. than to find out who is doing what. Actually I think people seem to be sharing fewer ‘perfect family’ things now than some years ago….at least those I am connected with. I do enjoy people’s vacation photos shared though.
It can be a good way to keep in touch with those who are very far away – and I’m always glad to hear what people are doing/ exclaim how much their children have grown etc. I don’t use it much myself, though I do now administer the FB page of the Geneva Writers Group, so I have to log on more frequently than I used to previously.
You’ve captured the dark side of google, the one where we feed our morbid curiosity and regrets by comparing our lives to those of others, known and strangers. You’ve shown that, many times, our googling only increases our pain. Well done.
I heard from a friend whose husband was cheating that she searched for his mistress on FB – and was devastated to discover a gorgeous profile picture. Only to find out later that the rival had uploaded a fake picture of a model rather than her own. No good can ever come from finding out too many details about affairs… and yet our morbid curiosity adds to the pain.
The best thing about coming to terms
with one’s weaknesses and strengths
and really really accepting themSELF
and not hiding
themSELF
is
a
REAL PERSON COMES
TO LIVE.. and for a ‘REAL
PERSON’.. there is no jealousy..
only happiness for the joy of
others.. and accomplishments
as well.. and there iS a further
step of the potentiality of
one Tribe.. where
all accomplishments
are seen as one
ACCOMPLISHMENT
AND that is where
the genius
of
the boy
who creates
FB does shine..
There are drones..
There are Queens..
and there is US
that can
be
WE..
smiles..
but i am a
Queen that
makes
it
easy
and i
am DRonE2
THAT makes me we..;)
I’ve heard whining and I’ve heard triumphant crowing on social media, and a lot of fakery, but I’ve also encountered genuine stories and candour. Stay real!
Smiles.. And thanks.. Marina.. for your inspiRinG poeTry.. i for one.. Love it ALL my friend.. and there is NO way but up with THAT REAL EmoTioN.. For now.. Just Now..:)
It’s very easy to find information on people and peek into their lives and for those with a jealous streak it sure could feed their “addiction.” You painted a picture of this character so clearly and your last verse summed up their life very well. Ugh!
I knew someone who regularly checked up on her exes via social media, just to make sure they weren’t any happier than her… but sometimes it’s not done with malicious aforethought at all.
I’m so interested in people’s behaviors. And I agree, there are plenty of people who have no malicious intentions…maybe just a little obsessive though. ;~)
It is perhaps a natural predicament of present day quirks. It precipitates provocations unwittingly through the convenience of the social media. Very insightful take Marina!
Hank
Too easy to torture yourself with details that should not concern us…
There are so many thoughts popping into my mind when reading this.. first there is what part do we really expose, the perfect image, the bragging, exposing of flesh for a like, and second that green-eyed envy in that googling (turning to ogling)… and we play detectives trying to find the clues from a name (the slip of a tongue or a glance)…
The form of your poetry with assonance and consonances works to express that anger building up to an end of sorts…
Anger more than wistfulness in this one, I have to admit, but also a recognition that knowing more about the other woman doesn’t bring any kind of satisfaction or closure. Still, human weaknesses drive us on into self-flagellation.
This is such an excellent portrayal of social media evils and the part they play in messing with our minds! Beautifully executed.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
Thank you, Sanaa, your visit and comment is much appreciated. Messing with minds, indeed…
It is certainly a modern poem on how we can inflict more suffering than we need to by social media. It certainly didn’t help a friend of mine when her long term partner left her.What we can’t see or follow or maybe then we just imagine. Maybe it’s more about being hurt than just jealousy. A great poem with those googling the dawn images.
Thank you, Georgina. If we are sensitive souls, we certainly need to be careful just how much pain we let into our lives, don’t we, even if we like scratching the open wound…
Love this one! Yes, indeed, Google, FB et al can be a terrible temptation to the old green-eyed monster – and as you point out, it rarely makes one feel better to see that everyone else’s lives seem so perfect… online.
I’d love to see a version of Othello with him stalking Desdemona’s online accounts.
I really like your last lines! it’s beautifully worded and so accurate!
Thank you, my dear, it’s the frustration of ‘I’m not quite the person I thought I would be by now’ – and maybe never will be.