FIND YOUR BEACH

by Thomas Sommers

The more I live inside, the more I live inside my phone.

Applications have become brief vacations.

Not to the beach, but to a virtual sandbox.

I don't come back with a glowing tan and memories.

Just some course sand in my shoes.

But where else is there to go?

I spend more than an instant on Instagram.

People--although they are more like quarantine characters, or facades--post challenge videos

To prove that they can do 10 pushups,

To prove that they have friends thinking of them.

Just like everyone tagged before them,

and everyone that they will tag next.

I'll probably do it too.

I fly out of one island on my homescreen.

Should we call it an escapescreen?

I land in my next destination.

I've recently discovered this one.

Tiktok.

Maybe the sand will be white and fine.

Yet, all I see for miles are videos looping, endlessly.

People dancing, mouthing along with the words,

pretending to be somewhere else, someone else.

That reminds me, my life is looping too,

At least for now.

Time passes.

Tick, tock.