IMTIAZ DHARKER, Poet, Chancellor, Newcastle University, presents the poem "Digital," the precarious state of our world is vividly portrayed, with civilization teetering on the edge. Amidst the chaos, the only counsel offered is to switch off and restart, yet this simplistic solution fails to address the profound disconnection plaguing society. As individuals grapple with the merging of technology and humanity, a search for meaning and connection ensues.
Through a mesmerizing blend of imagery and metaphor, the poem delves into the intricate web of existence, exploring the interplay between the digital realm and the human soul. As the narrative unfolds, themes of knowledge, empathy, and compassion emerge, offering a glimpse into the transformative power of art, technology, and human connection. With each stanza, Dharker invites readers on a journey of introspection and revelation, reminding us of our shared humanity and the boundless potential for renewal and redemption.
Poem: “Digital”
The world is hanging in the balance,
civilisation dangling by a thread.
The only advice coming down the line is
Switch off. Switch off and restart,
but this won’t correct the deep
disconnect and the glitch
that can’t be fixed with the easy fix
or incantation or circle of chalk,
tail of newt or tongue of snake.
There’s too much at stake
and the stakeholder is you.
Blue light reflects in your eyes
as you try to connect, reconnect
the tech to the human,
the want to the need,
the respect.
You search is for knowledge,
and your search is where you open a portal
and the universe answers.
Even when words falter and data slips,
it finds a point where neurons meet
and spark.
One child opens her eyes
and sees the web of stars
and puts up her hands to touch it.
Scan it like something precious,
a single cell dividing,
deciding what it will become.
Listen for the heartbeat
the living creature in the womb,
the perfect programme.
You reach out of the dark, measuring
every virtual success by living need
and human right and global cost.
The musical notation on a page
is the morse of being here,
in the web of the world, alive,
and here is help for the sick,
the sick at heart,
a balm for the hurt,
a salve for what we have done
to the earth, a berth for the sleepless,
a home for the homeless, a rebirth
for the hollow soul, a filled bowl
for the hungry, a promise of water
in a bottomless well,
a ritual of kindness. It will be spelt out
on stone and written
in new scripts, digital hieroglyphs,
the alphabet of who we are.
We may be dots in time, separate
as stars, but there is a spell that binds us.
You are trying to write a code
that connects art with artifice,
intelligence to the heart.
Make a mark, pixels that meet a need,
symbols that feed a village. Take
the human voice and the sound of birds,
overlay the singing of the spheres,
paint a way of life with a brush of light,
a flash of hope, the span and scope
of atom, plant and beast, fish,
dragonfly, the light in your eye,
all from the one source.
You and I are holding out our hands
and the child takes them.
She puts her trust in us.
We swing her up into the sky
as far as she can fly
into dizzy blue. The world restarts.
She opens her eyes and sees
we have come
from the dust of stars.
**
The FINAL DECLARATION of the 23rd Infopoverty World Conference is now available! The Plan of Action including a list of projects and proposals that emerged from the discussion will be available soon. STAY TUNED!
Comments