—a poem where refreshment watches back
You thought it simple, clean, benign—
A vodka fizz, a steady line.
But bubbles hide what screens record,
And silence masks a quiet sword.
The soda danced, the citrus gleamed,
But nothing here was what it seemed.
The vodka sat, so pure, so clear,
Like data scrubbed of all its fear.
Two bitters blinked, a warning shot,
A taste of things the tongue forgot.
A cucumber—a harmless slice?
No. That’s the part that breaks the ice.
You drank. The room recalibrated.
Your phone lit up. Your past was dated.
And in that glass, beneath the foam,
You saw the bar was not your own.
📜 Surveillance & Soda – The Recipe
- 2 oz Vodka
- Top with Club Soda
- 2 dashes Orange Bitters
- Garnish: Cucumber Ribbon or a QR code to nowhere
Instructions:
Build in a highball glass over fresh ice.
Stir just enough to raise suspicion.
Garnish and glance over your shoulder.
Best served in fluorescent-lit lounges, data centers posing as cocktail bars, or while wondering if your drink preferences have been monetized.