Lost Sense of Wonder; And Connection
Stream of Consciousness Erasure/Blackout poetry.
when did we lose grip of our sense of wonder in the world?
was it when the signals to our modems and routers increased,
when the pixels and bytes in our stations of play and communication increased?
did we ever stop to wonder, ever stop to figure out before it was too late,
before the gate closed on the fabulous wonder that lies to the east?
It is still out there, so many know,
as they travel and search to find the gold that nature, the world, offers and supplies,
when they see things that bring the saltiest tears to their eyes.
is a - really the same when alone in front of a screen
and an unachievably big chest is gyrating for you?
what happens when the - stop happening in person
and the people we love leave us and
find their own pixelated happiness in their own corners of the world?
logging on never feels so powerfully dangerous,
until you are faced with the harshness of the reality that the fantasy blanket shadows over
a dry - with another is still better than a dry - with no one
a - with a friend, is better than one with a computer at the other end
as the chest gyrates and the face lacks restraint, it's one-way self-serving pleasure on your end,
in the end you are just -,
when the feel of a - on your hand and the feel of a hand on your -, should be the aim, should be the goal.
a - in a truck is better than a - - on a computer
when it’s wet outside, and its sweat inside and your - convulses with her - convulses, it's good to be alive
not hand in-between your -, - your - or rubbing your - in solitary confinement
even when the law knocks the window, and your sinews are stuck together in - desire
and you can't quite clear up in time because her - is on the dash and your - is nestled - - her
it’s better to be there, in that moment of desire, passion and embarrassment,
than caught in front of the screen as fantasy scenes are relayed,
when the body is imperfect and not brushed with pornywood magic,
when the - are gutsy, clumsy and full of awkward, untempered chaos between your opposing -.
*
Thanks for reading!
Author's Notes: Had this one kicking around for a while, and the original was a bit different before I did a spot of erasure-style editing to it. Another SoC thing that aside from spellchecking and the erasure stuff and slight modifications is very much the same as the first time I wrote it.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
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Comments (8)
This reminded me of the old fill in the blank exams in school. But I think I would have done better on this one than on most of those tests. Way to make us participate in your poetry by making us vocalize all the naughty bits!
I did not expect this turn! But honestly, the sentiment is needed. The - part of technology, I think, is really damaging, and ultimately, looking at the bigger picture, being with someone should be better than being with a screen. It should be valued more, whether in a "-" context or not. Amazing piece, Paul. I know it'll resonate with so many people! Hoping to see this one get Top Story!
I just snuck on here for a quick gander.. my head is elsewhere as per usual, but this is about your piece, FOCUS! I love these long form pieces of yours..they catch me off guard and I feel like they are mood pieces because they are longer and so free form you can kind of ‘experience’ these more fully. I’m not explaining it right, as I would want to. Anyhow, I’m glad you shared this as u mentioned it prior. It’s effective and the blanks work too. Hope you and the fam are travelling well, well as good as can be expected.
Actually, I am so glad for technology because it does bring us closer together. Without it you could not have shared this and it does a lot of the heavy stuff for us (counting reads in the case of Vocal). I just wish we could have instant teleportation then I might be satisfied. Excellent words
Dear Paul, I just read "Lost Sense of Wonder; And Connection," and I wanted to say how much it resonated with me. Your exploration of how digital connectivity has overshadowed our sense of wonder and real human connection is both poignant and thought-provoking. The imagery and the flow of your words capture the essence of our modern predicament beautifully. Thank you for sharing such a reflective and evocative piece. Best regards, Dr. Jay
You nicely did it Paul!
It can be brought into your home via screen so why would you ever leave when pleasure can be delivered to your doorstep? I get this. It's so easy to be presented with stuff rather than work to seek it out and find it in the people around us. This is some soul-searching again, I think.
"and the people we love leave us and find their own pixelated happiness in their own corners of the world?" Oooo, these lines hit me so hard! Loved your poem so much Sir Paul! 🍩🥐