Eden

There was tv show called Eden

conceived with the popular formula

of the reality survivor trope.

Plop a couple dozen citizens

into a wild Scottish peninsula

insulate them from the modern world,

record their interactions,

see how they would cope,

a human petri dish

under a hi-def microscope.

Some Eves and Adams,

a fisherman and a nurse,

perhaps they'd find out

if their Abel would be able

to escape Cain's curse.

All went well enough it seems

in midsummer's mild clime,

four episodes were seen.

Then something happened

some of the intrepid participants

began to disappear, the core

was whittled to a few

and it was rumored that

some were smuggling liquor

into their isolated and hoped for

pristine midst, uncorrupted nor

distracted by the kingdom's

brewing discontent.

The camera's kept recording,

but no segments made the air,

the remaining adventurers

continued the experiment.

perhaps in ignorance,

but I wonder if

along with the contraband,

the smugglers also trafficked

in the news and decided

they would rather tolerate

the midges and mosquitos,

the jealousies and slights

within their manufactured tribe

than the world outside

accessible with a click.