Just Texted - Captain of the Rant

Just Texted

Fuck, I just texted

And now I'm next to vexed

I used my most concise wording

Cramming and ramming all the info in

So I didn't have to pay for that second page

And I reckon it was pretty good

I've definitely written worse

But I gotta sinking feeling I might as well have sent it in a hearse

My fingers skipped hesitantly over the keys

But I pretended to myself I'm doing it with ease

I gave it a quick review to see if there was anything to mend

And then I picked her number and whacked send

Will she notice the "x" at the end?

She could construe it as a kiss

It was such a risk, why didn't I think?

Jesus I hope she doesn't make the link

Christ, calm down Paul, it's not that bad

It doesn't mean anything, it's just a reflex of a hand

And on reflection it could move it into the sublime

Anyway I use it with my female mates all the time

Oh, great, now I'm sweating

Betting that I fucked everything up

I hear the beep of my phone on the kitchen table

And at first I'm barely able to move my hand

Then it shoots over, unlocks and presses read

And it's a message from Mum asking what I had for fucking tea

I feel like texting back: Rejection on toast

But I leave it and wait for my special digital post

What the fuck happened?

When did it come to this?

Our perspectives bent all out of proportion

Forcing us to take nervy caution contacting people we fancy

Getting antsy about whether we seem too needy or keen

It's obscene: technology is taking over our lives

And arrived so subtly we didn't even notice the rift

As we all started to drift apart with too much ease

As companies make us think we need more stuff

More phones, more profiles

More time shut up in our rooms

Sitting underneath our band posters

Pretending it's all drawing us closer

While we boast a chance to reform our personalities

Instead of ringing and meeting and talking

To those friends who you now haven't got the time to see

You're now a few clicks away from near anonymity

As if increased CCTV wasn't near enough

Making us fear all the people we thought we could trust

Now we're making our own cells

Giving the State a hand

Sinking in electronic quicksand

And the democratisation of media is great

Unifying people for the constant fight

Giving information to people who otherwise wouldn't see the light

Giving our community more muscle, strong and tight

Just don't let bulletins replace marches

Don't let profiles replace personality

Don't let texts replace conversation

Don't let porn replace meeting someone you genuinely love

Don't let them bury us up to your necks

Shit, I'm still waiting for that text!