Nostalgic Illusions

I stand in a shiny

Halo glow

The reminiscence

Of myself

The me I thought

Must exist

Time lost

In the space

between

M ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤandㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ E

Nostalgia

A great ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤgapingㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ void

Haunting my heart

Until my mind

Ceases its bellowing

Extending beyond the tape

An inert cellophane

t rㅤ ㅤ ㅤeㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤaㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤdㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤmㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤiㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤlㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤl

Flinging me

To my knees

Like an infant

Not yet reached

Pㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤeㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤrㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤcㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤeㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤpㅤ ㅤ ㅤt ㅤuㅤㅤㅤㅤa lㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤdㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤeㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤpㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤtㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤhㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤs

I kneel, hobbled

On the precipice of

Revelation

Disabled by my lack of

Insight

No rewinding

Reality’s been gobbled up

By an electromagnetic

Beast

The crackle and static

Invading

My dreams

Of a better life

Stranded on an

Invisible island of

Silence

K.B. Silver

If you have never used an audio cassette tape, the visuals of this poem may not come across fully. Because of how my brain connects, sometimes a poem can be a mish-mosh of concepts.

This poem takes the imagery of an audio cassette tape and how it works, with the bits of clear leader tape that are empty of information, and incorporates themes of early childhood development.

The concept that an infant develops depth perception and isn’t born with it is woven in. Due to my vision impairment, I never fully developed depth perception. Because of this, optical illusions have always fascinated me. Some still work on me, and some don’t at all, depending on which part of the brain or eyes is being utilized.

The letters in Treadmill, for example, are all the same size, but increasing the spacing between them creates the illusion that they are growing in size. Or consider the phrase perceptual depths. The letters are all the same size and positioned flat on the page, but again, by adjusting the spacing, the illusion of depth can be created.

Of course, as most of my poems are, it is also a reflection on my memory loss and recovery.

P.S. I just viewed this on my Apple laptop and saw the empty spaces don't traslate on here. Sorry if the format isn't coming across for you.