Together, Yet Alone

It's probable to get as much
Attention from a stone
As from a friend with face aglow
Together, yet alone

The meeting made you very late
I waited up in bed
I hoped that we could reconnect
You checked your phone instead

At first you just reviewed some notes
I figured that was fair
But soon you scrolled to something else
As if I wasn't there

Some time had passed, I closed my eyes
But when I looked again
Your finger twitched, the image switched
And I was at wit's end

I went to sleep, you followed suit
And laid aside your phone
Another night here side by side
Together, yet alone

Devices in each shape and size
Will promise to connect
And yet they lead to compromise
That screens cannot detect

Distractions here, a quick check there
We know they take a toll
Convenience such a driving force
While digging us a hole

Have we been made to constantly
React to every post
Ignoring those within our reach
The ones who matter most?

It's wise to give our screens to God
because we know we're prone
unwittingly to all end up
together, yet alone

This poem won first place for the January 2024 poetry contest