Stephen..my personal opinion, and that is all it is, is that the last two lines fit "the rules" ...as in the syllables fit the rhythm etc..short words.. (except for con artists..how about just con men..persons?? or artists..a syllable should be cut.. also how about you feel the excitement and cut out the can.

The first two lines don't. Histrionics has too many syllables. I'd maybe say hysterics. Cynics transiently care...too many syllables and words that people really don't use. They really don't use the word histrionics either in my neck of the woods. I'd say cynics do not care. Lazy folks etc. has too many syllables. How about lazy folks are working..

Hyped up major bookmark..would anyone really say that in speech? Maybe in email...also too many syllables. And then that doesn't mean that nothing happened..double negative..tøo many syllables...how about something awful (or whatever) happened to the things that we held dear..