Turn On, Tune In, Fade Out....

As I ate out last night I marveled at the couples.
At how whilst waiting between courses
they detatched from where they were,
and from each other, with such ease.
They both looked into their blackberries
to see what news the world had sent them,
as if it had changed since they had last turned them off,
Or more likely set them to 'silent'.
It certainly set the couples to silence.

When I was young I knew the level of disdain
my father had for whoever knocked at the door,
whilst he was watching television.
If the caller had no call on him,
say they were my social worker
or Jehovah's Witnesses he would lean against
the door and brusquely slur 'Not Today Thanks'.
As if another day he might have regard for them-
as if he could say which day he might be recieving.
If it was money was owed he would let people in,
but the television sound would be reluctantly turned down.
But never off. E.g. for people like assurance agents.
But for his family who were in all the time,
and his for the owning, the television was there
to screen us out of his existence.
He turned off the set for his brothers
as we were shoo-ed out of the house,
the better for them to share bitter nothings.

On seeing these unknown couples tuning out
of each other via mobile phones I wondered
at the ease of detachment in 'liberal democracy'.