Programmed To Switch Channels Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

If I pinched myself,
Would you feel it and say 'ouch! '
Would my concerns
Pull you away from a chair or a couch,
Ecstactic with empathy?
Until that happens...
Your understanding of my pain,
Will be as quick as shifting
From one boring episode to another!
We are programmed to switch channels.
It is a convenience to keep us detached,
And self absorbed!
We are only aware of the connection...
When our viewing habits have been temporarily delayed.
Or interrupts with an immediate personal discomfort,
We rush to announce to others with dismay and disbelief!
Until baseball season comes to help us keep score.