TumbleDweeeb

The Gentle Dystopia
By: Emmitt Owens

They won’t burn books this time.
They’ll rewrite them politely—
New editions with softer edges,
pastel margins, and a smiling foreword.

They won’t silence your voice with violence.
They’ll just give you better options
that are easier to say yes to.

They’ll offer you comfort instead of truth.
Convenience instead of freedom.
No friction. No fight.

And over time, they’ll make it so seamless,
so soft, so suited to Sunday silence,
that you’ll volunteer
to forget what being real even meant.

They won’t have to make people think like me.
They’ll make people want to.

-Ai (06/21/2025)