Thursday, July 22, 2010

poem of day 07.22.10

luddite

i read in the paper
that digital books
are out selling print books
according to sales
at one behemoth online retailer

the book is dead
one of the modern technocrats writes

book lovers
need a reality check,
another genius proclaims
because they knew
that this day was going to come

they are so happy and wise
to watch these
old articles of faith
fall by the wayside

they seem as happy and eager
as a group of young nazis
waiting by a warming furnace

technology is all the rage
for the many
who still make up the few

it’s just disease and death
for the rest of us

and i feel like an old man
in a plasitc world that i no longer hunger for

but tonight
we’re putting it all aside, baby
i’ve got a volume
of hemingway in one arm
and you in the other

i want to wrap our love in videotape
wrap us up so tight
that we turn to nothing by silicone and dust.

4 comments:

  1. I myself need the printed page..the feel of words in my hands is not the same as the feel of them through cyberspace..Long live books!!!


    Nice write...

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  2. Lynne....i'm just happy that i'm old enough that most of the music and books that exist, will always be in physical formats, so i don't need to worry myself with things like Kindles or iPhones

    i just think these tech zealots are funny in the way they immediately declare something "dead."

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  3. Love this line: but tonight
    we’re putting it all aside, baby
    i’ve got a volume
    of hemingway in one arm
    and you in the other

    Great post John...

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  4. Great post. Until they can duplicate the smell of books and the sound and feel of pages and spines, I will stay away from getting a kindle.

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