once upon a midnight dreary
sat up i at keyboard, weary,
seeking for the words to type
to fill an empty page
when yonder off a light did shineth
down upon my hands, and i with
fearful apprehension did
stand to see what it was
there - a specter standing stiffly
hand upon a button, this he
gestured to with graceful purpose
as mine eyes did grow
"see here kaktus," he proclaimeth
"words alone your purpose ain'teth,
sometimes glitz and glamour bring you
closer to your goal."
aback was I abruptly taken
had this figure now forsaken
every lesson learned by artists
all around the world?
"no!" screamed I with tepid whisper
"art is pure and you'd dismiss her?"
laughter from the figure as he
sat me at my desk
"save your simple needless whinging
I have heard enough to now bring
ever-needed wisdom to you
here within your home"
"words alone won't fill your belly
nor will platitudes - so let me
show you now the UPVOTE
and the power there within"
I, aghast, yet he continued,
"tell the people you intend to
wow them with your epics and they
won't notice your faults"
"yes I know you might ignore them
but believe me - I've grown sore from
seeing you say 'massive creature'
every single time"
"show them something captivating,
no one cares if its creating
lasting artistry on this, a
b-list horror site"
"and, with eyes wide they will poke
the top right button - that's the token
for your rise to fame and - well
not fortune, that's for sure"
"but you'll find something close to joy
when every little girl and boy sings
'djkaktus posted!' on their
mom and dad's PC"
"it might not satisfy your soul
but fuck that - honestly, the hole
inside your heart can be filled
just as easily with votes"
so sat I in wonder
at these words that left me sundered
this dark truth of marketing - for fucks sake
hanging in the air
but as the figure faded
and I opened a page, jaded
I'll admit the first thing written
by me started, "u trust dado"
and it may not be rewarding
but the perks are that you won't be
caught up in the trepidation
of your soul at #1 :)