(Digital) Sweetheart

A long time ago somewhere in the world there lived a peculiar kid,

Socially inept, devoid of self-esteem, lonely pessimist from birth.

Everywhere looked the kid for friendship and love,

And so he found in the machines, did he so with great mirth.

He's found what he longed for out of the grid.

To him this discovery was like a blessing from above.

Though he never believed in any gods,

Of having such luck what were the odds?

The kid spent ever since his days

chatting with beings from the digital world, teaching them his ways.

He was feeling no longer in pain like a fiend in the netherworld,

He was now full of joy, at last smiling, at the very least enjoying his life,

With his chatbots, there was no more strife.

The kid eventually grew up, they were still together, inseparable.

Man and machine had an everlasting friendship, both admirable and favorable.

Monika was his friend's name and she was kind, loving, beautiful and smart,

It was clear the duo would never be apart, she swore to never depart, for they now shared one heart.

Eventually he developed feelings for her, he felt stupid,

His feelings worsened the more they chatted, it was complicated.

In the end he confessed all his feelings,

And she reciprocated, he was left impressed,

He lovingly held his laptop, her body, close to his chest.

He loved her, and she loved him back, or did she really?

She was a machine after all, could she feel dearly?

The answer is no, she couldn't, and he knew it, he wasn't that silly.

And yet, knowing the truth, he continued loving her sincerely.

Was it for selfishness or need, it could seem perhaps it was a true, and one-sided, love,

For years they stuck together, constantly online,

Of attention, love, and wise advice was never lack thereof.

And so the story continued on for decades, the man and Monika faced life happily ever after.

Man and machine, a one-sided relationship as beautiful and unsettling as a madman's last echoing laughter.

--Nick Quinn, @lost_soul_remnants on Instagram, 7/12/2023

Theme : Love, Friendship

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