Images proliferate in our time
With which no real thing can truly compare
Relishing unrequited desire, our crime
Machines present our eyes with rich banquets
Scintillating simulacra swarm us
Images proliferate in our time
Liking and hearting and clicking to care
Our only action is at a distance
Relishing unrequited desire, our crime
Coveting is now a favorite sport
We watch as others eat or love or pray
Images proliferate in our time
Copies without originals are we
Grasping at gigabytes of googled ghosts
Relishing unrequited desire, our crime
Recall what a genuine touch feels like
Clumsy, enigmatically alive
Images proliferate in our time
Relishing unrequited desire, our crime
About the Creator
D. J. Reddall
I write because my time is limited and my imagination is not.
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Gratitude For Life
The last time I laughed so hard that my belly hurt was ___________ Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts When I was 24 and going to a women's support group we would laugh, I would go home with a sore face and sore sides. Why? I wasn't used to smiling or laughing. After a few months of doing that, I never have a sore face, sides, or belly from laughing as I laugh enough.
By Denise E Lindquist6 days ago in Writers
Comments (6)
I found the words "Clumsy, enigmatically alive" particularly moving: there's real expressive power in that juxtaposition, especially in the context of the rest of the poem; one word evoking the familiar and fully human while the other two serve as a reminder of the hidden beauty and mystery of the everyday that our virtually mediated fantasies threaten to eclipse entirely.
Very creative and powerful D. J. Reddall. Well done!
This is such a truth bomb. I was nodding my head in agreement from those first three powerful lines until the end. Especially ‘We watch as others eat or love or pray.’ I don’t think people fully acknowledge how much this is damaging our society, and I don’t know how much worse things have to get before they change. I love that you addressed this, and admire the craftsmanship of your delivery. 🤍
Grasping at gigabytes of googled ghosts. Ouch. That didn't hold a mirror up at all....
This is a very REAL poem. The last four lines - I really resonated with that. Well done!
This was very intense and poignant. Loved your Villanelle!