Tonight's Poet Corner: Grand Theft Internet

Grand Theft Internet
by Belinda Roddie

So that's thirty a month for internet -
the general sense, at least. Maybe
ten a month for a subscription to some
video-hosting site. You might buy a few
pixelated points to beat a level in the next
diabetes-inducing food game fad, or maybe
send imaginary gifts to people on Facebook
for the low, low price of five dollars each.

If some greedy bastards get their way,
though, that'll be another

five dollars a month for socializing,
ten dollars a month for idle video watching,
twenty dollars a month for running your
very, very important business, and
last but not least, a handful of desperate
change for the chance to be able to say,
I can still have a free Internet.

Only it's not free.
And they want it to be less free.
And they want to get fat on the food in your larder.
And they think it's okay.