I modeled this poem after Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem "Richard Corey." The feel of Richard Corey is that of a false happiness; Richard is rich and blessed so everyone wants to be him and yet he kills himself. It reminded me a lot of social media and the false lives we build around ourselves. I structured the poem with the ABAB rhyme scheme and kept it at a four line four stanza (quatrain).

Poem 1

In Our Time

Our time has conditioned us
To either Like or Share
Accept a worth judged by a plus
Post this status to show you care

We value the number of "friend"
Instead of the friend-ship
Like a heartless troll collecting gold with no end
Caring only when those numbers dip

We will write and outright lie
"My heart goes out to the people of-"
Or to "-those affected by"
But we never say anything out of love

Our time has conditioned us
To share our thoughts and wallow
In the numbers of friends and pluses
Our time has conditioned us to be shallow