If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
By Maria Sledmere
Romance scams always make me cry
my front teeth chipped from the cinnamon cookie
I can cry even more than babies can
I answer all my spams with beautiful missives that mourn
the impossibility of succulent & promised fortunes, dearest
I would like to disclose something important
a smashing welcome bonus, a sex trip with someone who weighs eight stone
but these people think my name really is Strawberry Bonfire, sometimes just Berry
from the Kingdom of Hotmail, socially engineered by the extra cash prize
of showing up to the noughties
through rivers of kohl, glitterbombed and milky
to fall in your booming arms
call me fungible
MARIA SLEDMERE is a lecturer in Creative Writing based in Glasgow. She has long been serenaded in pop songs and musicals.
Art by Izzy Fergusson
The reminder that whenever an offer online looks suspiciously generous or far too easy, it usually masks a hidden catch is such a timeless piece of common sense. It makes you realize how easily people can get caught up in flashy promises without pausing to look closer at the fine print. Balancing cybersecurity studies, digital ethics coursework, and heavy university writing tasks can quickly turn into an overwhelming test of time management during an intense semester. During a particularly demanding term last year when online fraud case studies, policy essays, and end-of-year milestone projects all landed at once, a classmate mentioned seeking structured support through a specialized Research Paper Writing Services in UK provider to help organize their literature reviews…
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As a newcomer, this reads like a surreal, emotional mix of humor and vulnerability, especially around scams and identity. The shifting tone and rhythm almost feel intentional, like keeping pace in something like FNF game, where the boyfriend faces different opponents to win the girlfriend’s love. I’d be interested in understanding more about the meaning behind the imagery and voice.
The part about how quickly people jump at offers that seem too good to be true really made me think, especially the example of those “get rich overnight” schemes. It’s interesting to consider how often we overlook small red flags because of excitement, and it makes me wonder how different the outcomes might be if we paused to reflect, almost like when using assignment services to check sources carefully or preparing for GCSE speech topics where you need to structure your points thoughtfully. I also found myself questioning whether this kind of caution is something most people actively practice, or if it only clicks after a mistake has already happened.