DEATH BY COMPUTER

she was terrified in her aloneness.
she dare not sleep.
the phantoms would consume her.
she wheezed, and lit another smoke.
she poured another cup of coffee.
the computer was her only friend.
It was her virtual life...
her safe friend.
after all, people looked at her,
strangely.
so she didn't go out.
she sat at her keyboard...
sometimes for sixteen-hours.
she wore no lipstick,
no makeup.
she sat in a frumpy bathrobe,
hair in disarray.
she ate cans of soup,
and saltine crackers.
she consumed food sporadically,
methodically.
there was no joy for her,
in the ingestion of food...
or drink for that matter.
she lived alone,
devastated,
used,
abused,
misunderstood.
yet, she clung to a sliver
of hope.
"yes...hope", she thought.
she looked at the razor scars
adorning her wrists,
once in a while.
"never again", she vowed.
then she stared into the glow,
of her virtual monitor screen.
in this, her holy temple,
she found peace.