I arrived in the basket that was weaved here before me
And I stayed in any place with a roof that would store me
&nbsp; &nbsp; I have lots of belongings
&nbsp; &nbsp; But didn&rsquo;t pack for the trip
I got here, they put pants on me
And then the world gave me the slip

I&rsquo;ve lived as slowly as I could
&nbsp; &nbsp; Because there was no time to waste
But then things just got so weird
That I just had to grab your ear
&nbsp; &nbsp; And give the tongue inside your mind a little taste:

For example:

The wallpaper can see that you&rsquo;re stressed,
&nbsp; &nbsp; So it turns a lovely shade of blue
The thermostat has thought things over
&nbsp; &nbsp; And is ready to have a word with you

And your closet picked out your outfit
&nbsp; &nbsp; for the party Friday night
Whilst the blender and the toaster
&nbsp; &nbsp; made vindaloo by candlelight

And Doctor mailman robot
&nbsp; &nbsp; Printed your pills in quite a hurry
Your vitamins were running low
&nbsp; &nbsp; Now there&rsquo;s B12 in your curry

But your personality algorithm
&nbsp; &nbsp; was accidentally miswritten
You forgot your fingernails were all encoded
&nbsp; &nbsp; and you bit them

Now the discs of your thumbnails
&nbsp; &nbsp; are gangrene, corrupted
The chip that was slipped
&nbsp; &nbsp; twixt each digit erupted

Your sensors and servos
&nbsp; &nbsp; Implants and additions
All bent towards a personal program of precision

Your body&rsquo;s expanded
&nbsp; &nbsp; Your spirit is failing
The row boat got a motor but wants to be sailing

Yes every Thing now is thinking
&nbsp; &nbsp; We are each our own king
But there&rsquo;s no kingdom here to speak of
&nbsp; &nbsp; It&rsquo;s a pot luck, but we&rsquo;ve nothing to bring

For the air now is as thick as the sea
&nbsp; &nbsp; With every thing we created, each idea we have dreamed

Yes we screamed and filled the skies with drones and clones of drones
Now they&rsquo;re crashing on our couches as they move into our homes
&nbsp; &nbsp; And taking in some old stray nanobots
Now the drones have a family
Now the drones have a dog
&nbsp; &nbsp; There&rsquo;s so many drones, we all miss having cops

Yes life never stops, there&rsquo;s no room to start over
&nbsp; &nbsp; Though we have deftly fashioned countless walls
Every thing that you want or you need or just hoped for
&nbsp; &nbsp; Is always round the corner, and just down the hall

We are tubes inside of tubes inside of tubes inside of more
We are a sinking ship that&rsquo;s filled with valves, and pouches, switches, doors

A whirling servo for your heart-
It no longer beats, it hums
Every poem will be disposed of that once compared our hearts to drums

We are a hurricane that just built a fountain
&nbsp; &nbsp; A pile of rocks with an eye for the mountain
But keep your ears to the ground for the counting
&nbsp; &nbsp; For the number of hooves that are rumbling round it
&nbsp; &nbsp; Numb to the sound of the sirens surrounding

For we will stretch ourselves further
&nbsp; &nbsp; Than we ever have before
&nbsp; &nbsp; And one day, there&rsquo;s no doubt, we will snap

With our nose to the grindstone
&nbsp; &nbsp; of progress
&nbsp; &nbsp; We&rsquo;ll all make our way
&nbsp; &nbsp; to the top, then collapse

For though we&rsquo;ve imagined where it is we&rsquo;re all headed-
&nbsp; &nbsp; We do not yet know where we stand
The future can&rsquo;t hold for us a promise, my friend
&nbsp; &nbsp; It&rsquo;s a ghost with a pair of clouds for hands

Yes the future isn&rsquo;t waiting there for us-
&nbsp; &nbsp; It is quietly being pulled through us
It&rsquo;s an illustration of our secret ways
&nbsp; &nbsp; and yet we cannot say who drew us

For as soon as the word is pronounced
&nbsp; &nbsp; There&rsquo;s a parade!
The new product arrives!
&nbsp; &nbsp; In your ear
&nbsp; &nbsp; On your finger
&nbsp; &nbsp; Up your nose
&nbsp; &nbsp; And
&nbsp; &nbsp; In your eyes

Yes we&rsquo;ve figured out a way to make you all feel MORE alive
&nbsp; &nbsp; (side effects may include
&nbsp; &nbsp; shortness of breath
&nbsp; &nbsp; thoughts of suicide or death
&nbsp; &nbsp; but most likely just
&nbsp; &nbsp; anxiety
&nbsp; &nbsp; and hives)

You&rsquo;ll be a walking coral reef
&nbsp; &nbsp; You&rsquo;ll be the tide pools filled with teeth
You&rsquo;ll be a mouth that&rsquo;s always chewing
&nbsp; &nbsp; You&rsquo;ll be a tongue that&rsquo;s underneath it all
&nbsp; &nbsp; You&rsquo;ll be the roof, the ceiling, and all the papered walls

You&rsquo;ll be prefixed
&nbsp; &nbsp; With endo
&nbsp; &nbsp; And intra
&nbsp; &nbsp; And supra

As they watch you
&nbsp; &nbsp; And poke you
&nbsp; &nbsp; And cut you
&nbsp; &nbsp; And shoot ya

Let us mend every seam with some sutures
&nbsp; &nbsp; Let them sew up the holes in your life with the future

But who are we inside of this thing that we&rsquo;ve built?
&nbsp; &nbsp; We&rsquo;re a bowl full of milk that&rsquo;s about to be spilt

For there is always a storm that is coming
&nbsp; &nbsp; The word on the tip of all tongues now is

Ben Burke

THE TRANSHUMANIST’S LAMENT or TOO MANY RIVERS, NOT ENOUGH LAKES or OH, FUTURE — YOU SO CRAZY

Ben Burke

On the Speculative Present

THE TRANSHUMANIST’S LAMENT or TOO MANY RIVERS, NOT ENOUGH LAKES or OH, FUTURE — YOU SO CRAZY