it started as a bite.
a logo.
a symbol of rebellion,
slick enough to sell back to the rebels.

but this isn’t eden.
it’s the showroom.
and everything here
costs more
than you think.

not in dollars,
in dependence.

you don't buy the phone.
you enter the ecosystem.
you don't upgrade,
you comply.

a smooth box
with no screws,
no ports,
no way in
and no way out.

you think it’s privacy
because they told you it was.
but the garden walls are tall,
and the gate only opens
with their face scan.

they removed the headphone jack
to hear you better.

you’re not the customer.
you’re the audience.
and the applause
is optional.
but expected.