Where do I draw the line?

Decoding Desire in a Digital World

I need to make a list of all I treasure,

to read as I yearn for easy pleasure.

Thirst traps or cozy naps?

Immersive books or sneaking looks?

Do I cuddle with her tonight, or muddle through these decadent delights?

Is the master the bait—why did I bite?

Should I sip sunshine's juice, or slip into isolation's noose?

Trust, intimacy, laughter— these are bonds that have been abused.

How can naked strangers replace a warm embrace, and why do I hold a phone instead of your hand?

This constant scrolling, an exhausting race— adrift in social media's endless sea, sleepily following its command.

What happened to bliss, to serendipity?

In exchange for haunted kisses and strokes of self-pity.

Muffled cries as my troubled eyes are hypnotized, overwhelming scenes scream at the seams of my dreams.

Tormented constantly by my inadequacy, and past inconsistency—can I find some peace?

Is this a hopeless quest where I cannot rest?

Or if I do my best, can I pass this test?

The obstacle is the way, the Stoics say.

A better future awaits if I embrace the day.

Do I run or do I fight?

I draw the line in the sand— I choose to stay.