Request Denied

Request Denied

by Jayne Jaudon Ferrer

I start to click “Confirm,” then stop.
I didn’t like you in high school:
why would I like you now?
Of course, it’s possible you’ve evolved,
gotten over sneering at those whose opinion
doesn’t match your own,
realized women have some purpose
beyond stroking your ego,
discovered rules apply to you, after all.
Perhaps your 1147 Facebook friends know
something I don’t,
can’t imagine your seductive voice
ever uttering crude comments
or racist rhetoric,
are convinced you’re where you are
because you deserve to be there.
But probably not.
Probably you’re the same jerk you always were,
elbowing yourself into places you don’t belong,
like an inappropriate apostrophe: irritating,
out of place,
unnecessary.

Author’s Comment: I think social media serves as a validation tool for some: “if I have lots of online friends, I’m cool.” I started wondering if the Internet lets us hide our true colors or if our uglier traits still shine through. They do; I recently met a guy I’d known only through emails; he was as odious in the flesh as he was online.

Bio: Jayne Jaudon Ferrer is the author of four books of poetry, one of which has remained in print for twenty years and is currently in its third edition. An award-winning copywriter and freelance journalist earlier in her writing career, Ferrer lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and is the host of http://www.YourDailyPoem.com. Learn more about her at http://www.jaynejaudonferrer.com.