only connect
“Only connect…” said E. M. Forster, though it’s difficult nowadays
when we’re always connected, always plugged in,
almost always online.
It is necessary to disconnect first; to break away from the hive mind
— the ego inflater, ego deflater —
and make the switch from passive to active.
Readjusting to real time takes time.
A suckling baby instructs you to switch off and slow right down.
A toddler’s hand — chubby, insistent — is a useful guide,
shifting your attention from that world to this world;
to everyday treasures you may have missed.
There are things to do, things to build,
such as cushion towers and blanket dens.
A teenager’s query, poignantly nonchalant,
needs a good deal of listening to; the real question there
in the frown on her brow.
There are so many chances, each day, to connect;
to make us shine with life and love,
if only we can disentangle ourselves from technology first.
Disconnect, reconnect; childhood is finite.
By Marija Smits
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