‘The stop-and-start of history works
on the hope and misery of individual lives.’
– Joshua Sperling, A Writer of Our Time
1. Cultural Traditions
From his tiny cell he throws out sparks
to help light and toss mystical fire
through the belly of the beast.
We could burn the whole thing down.
I saw nods and smiles around the room
as colleagues made contact with the dead,
reminded them that language has power
to transform, can affect our lives, move
history into the human disposal system.
Compression algorithms are subversive,
a process only constructed to enhance
printed information and resist deadly diseases.
Prism-fitted instruments of long-lasting love
recharge your emotional batteries and sometimes
wash through your veins, facilitating accuracy
and nights of sweet change, new technology
or unstoppable tears. Without natural light
you can focus on information retrieval and
questions about lost youth. Contemplation
in our hometown is both a mystical experience
and a quantifiably shared cultural tradition.
2. Invented Contexts
magnetism: ideal bubbles of possibility
civilization: promises negated or rescinded
quantifiable metrics: public squares and streets
cultural practices: resignation and despair
the distant past: cracked mirrors and discarded diaries
linguistic search engines: knowledge needs to grow
adjectival invective: local vigilantes
the people: hierarchical power structures
information retrieval: walking in dark rooms
mathematical approaches: problems continue
optimal-cost class thresholds: role-playing dialogue
training data: ornamental and hollowed-out results
helpful questions: dreams beyond measure
contemplative meditation: sit by the fire
very good books: secret and special places
prism-fitted instruments: dance into the light
rest and relaxation: cyclical turnover
new technologies: knowledge and calling
words and sentences: every painful twist
invigorated spaces: he has supposedly left
how we think about clothing: decisive moments
trajectory share information: pop occultism
accuracy and reliability: the nature of feeling
ways to protect each other: grand plans
mass production: complicated simplification
common phrases or expressions: relative stability
sequential watercolours: prehistoric gloom
compression algorithms: after dinner stories
the circulation of blood: wanting to go there
everyday conveniences: you sleep in the bed
individual stories: unprecedented transformations
underlying goals: energy and commitment
concepts of law: the charm of stale words
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© Rupert M Loydell
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