iRemember

A Science Fiction Sonnet

Jul 13, 2024

Here’s an unusual poem from me: a science fiction sonnet, recently published in Geez Magazine’s print-only issue on Technology and AI. This poem is a nostalgic look back at our current day smartphones from a near future when (it’s not hard to imagine) augmented reality contact lenses have become as ubiquitous as smartphones are today. Read the poem below this painting by Linda Hugues.

Linda Hugues — “Staying Current” (oil, 16x16 inches), used with permission, ©️Linda Hugues.

iRemember

a realistic science fiction

Back then you’d see them light up on the table
or catch those guilty glances into laps,
or glance up in an airport walled with cable-
tethered travelers, sockets tied to apps.

At least you knew: you’d watch their fingers twitching,
spot earbuds hanging from a vacant stare,
or spy over a stranger’s shoulder, slipping
inside her eyes, a whole world unaware.

That’s how it was back in the twenty-teens.
Where are you reading this? Who are you with
and do they even know? I wonder if
our lack—those clunky weights, the smudgy screens,

our inability to hide the skies—
was better than these implants in our eyes.

Fun fact: four years ago, an early version of this poem was titled “20/20,” a playful pun on both 20/20 hindsight and the poem’s original ninth line which read, “I wish we could go back to 2020.” After the pandemic, however, I could only laugh at the thought of publishing the line “I wish we could go back to 2020,” so I revised the third stanza to its current form. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of wordplay: “cable-tethered” is held together across a line break by a hyphen, and “sockets” is a double entendre (plugs and eyes).

Podcasts I’m Listening To

Speaking of smartphones, I love listening to podcasts while I’m running or driving. Here are two of my current favorite podcasts related to poetry and creativity:

Poetry for All is a very accessible podcast hosted by Abram van Engen (author of Word Made Fresh: An Invitation to Poetry for the Church) and Joanne Diaz. They read a poem, discuss it, then read it again. I’ve learned so much from their guidance.
Creative Pep Talk is an upbeat podcast hosted by illustrator Andy J. Pizza. He offers insights and advice from his own and others’ creative practices. As the title suggests, this podcast leaves me feeling energized to create. For a great entry point, check out Episode 434: 10 Rules of a Thriving Creative Practice.

Let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations for podcasts about creativity or poetry. I would also love to hear any thoughts on the poem. Thanks for reading!