A Johnnie for John

Update: You can read the sequel to this poem, "To Have and to Hold," here.

Downloading a song
is like
sleeping with a prostitute.
It's cold and impersonal --
merely a transaction,
a commercial exchange.
As a john,
you don't care about
her story or her history.
You don't care to
get to know
her parents or her siblings.
You don't care about
her goals or aspirations
or what she stands for.
You don't care about
her heart and soul.
You don't care
about her at all.
You just want
to get what you want from her
and go home.
You want to take her
quickly and cheaply
and move on,
with no regard
for her value or worth
as a unique creation
birthed out of love and affection,
with a heritage and a heartbeat.
You're just looking for a
Johnnie-on-the-spot.
You're just looking
for a play.