Attention: Missing Persons.
Digital Warfare.
Attention, all citizens - remain alert, remain sure.
We’re in the midst of a devastating, ongoing, silent war.
In this conflict of networks, signals and blue-light glare,
Countless are missing - vanished in what seems to be thin air.
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Last Seen - living, dancing, unrecorded;
No ring lights, no lenses, not showcasing their life “sorted”.
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Last Seen - smiling for no one but themselves;
Reading in the library, amongst the dusty shelves.
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Distinguished features - known prior to disappearance;
Not “liked” on any apps for your visual clearance.
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Textured skin,
Present eyes,
Nervous systems calm,
Sitting in a quiet room, thoughts cause no silent harm.
Watching a concert,
No phone light,
No camera in their hands,
In a crowd, singing the lyrics to all their favourite bands.
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Do not mistake these features for filters or edits;
This fuels the machine with further profits, further credits.
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Do not misconstrue with any emojis or captions;
These are just false idols for your screens reactions.
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Search teams have scoured childhood bedrooms and diaries;
However, all found were well past their dated expiries.
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Search parties turned over every desk and old school chair;
Chewed gum stuck underneath was all the evidence to share.
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Reports have confirmed they are now chained to all the feeds,
Subscribed to different platforms that supports their “social” needs.
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If you see the unrecorded, know their confusion may cause resist,
But be firm, hold tight, stay with them - ensure they still exist.
About the Creator
Latisha Fairfull
Writing a record for my inner child and the woman I am still learning to stand beside.
Not poetry for answers,
But poetry for breath,
For noticing,
And choosing to live from the inside out.

Comments (5)
What wonderfully pondersome subject matter:) Great take on life as we know it.
What truth do the words of this poem hide? They make me think about what is worth fighting for and what is not. Very good work.
Quietly powerful and uncomfortably familiar. Beautifully written.
It’s scary how close this feels to reality. What a perfect, unsettling close.
Look forward to reading more