Trending Entity

In hushes and whispers
the adults share the latest
viral infraction
and spread it among the parents
- a responsible warning
to keep an eye out
for the startling image
preying within
games children play

Descriptions are varied
and stern warnings
travel through the news media
as quickly as a shocking celebrity split

The stretchy face and bulging eyes
framed in a kewpie doll cut
remind me of a Tim Burton character

But the supporting stories
are of a more disturbed nature

The image is reported to generate a power
to incite the impressionable
to set parents on fire
stand in the middle of the road
slice into the body
and finger paint with the blood

A terrorism story for the kids
that in this age of technology
is relying on their embellishments
to fuel the longevity of fear

I got the inside scoop
through the lens of my child
enthusiastically recounting
what the kids had said

It certainly was the hot topic
in grade school today
and clearly evident
that a new urban legend
has taken root

But one can't take it too lightly,
because we've all been told to do things
that may not have been in our best interest
and done them

Vulnerabilities are compelling targets

I debunked the mystery for my child,
using it as an important reminder
and necessary lesson
that caution is a best practice
when on the information highway.