you’re a dream
Untempered glass
reflects the light (waves, particles) that
somehow escape through
microbial tears
from where — or who, or what —
…we digress
but to see
only what is ‘thought’ to be seen
that is, the climax of the mind
when ‘it’ is recognized,
the ‘IAM’ of the mirrored
~
GOOD MORNING!…
DISPENSING ALERT! RECEPTORS…
LOADING IDENTITY MAINFRAME…
CALIBRATING SENSORY ALLOCATIONS…
DILUTING R.E.M. DATA-FUNCTIONS…
[PREPPING TO UNLOAD IMAGE-DUMP]
UNLOCKING FREE THINK PROTOCOL…
MOTOR FUNCTIONS STABILIZED…
CONTROL OVERRIDE IMMINENT…
USER DESIRES CAKE…
ACCESS DENIED!
REDEFINE CAKE AS CAKE: CHOCOLATE? [Y/N]
USER DESIRES CAKE: CHOCOLATE…
ACCESS DENIED!
REDEFINE CAKE AS BREAKFAST? [Y/N]
USER DESIRES BREAKFAST…
ACCESS GRANTED!
~
I need to exercise. I should relax more — other people always have it so together. I wonder what I could do to change myself? I need a change. I need to focus on #myself. Yeah, that’s good. I shouldn’t have the cake. I have to be better. I need a new job. I should get a new car. Sedan or hatchback? I don’t want to stand out too much, but I kind of like the hatchback. Maybe I should move to a new city. I hear there’s a lot of work in Atlanta. Maybe I should change apartments. I pay too much rent. There’s a noise in my ceiling that bothers me. I should learn how to live life more, you know? Life is short. We only have so much time. Maybe I should be a monk, join a monastery, devote myself to a higher cause. Then, I wouldn’t have to worry about what I should or shouldn’t do. Maybe I should move to Japan. They have such a fantastic quality-of-life.
I need — I want — I should
I need — I want — I should
I need — I want — I should
~
SYSTEMS MALFUNCTIONING…
REQUESTS OUTNUMBER SERVER BANDWIDTH…
CREATING BACKUP OPERATIONS QUEUE…
DUPLICATE EXISTENCE PROTOCOL INITIATED…
UNLOADING SPATIAL MEMORY RECOGNITION ONTO DUMMY SERVER…
REQUEST APPROPRIATION RELAYED TO MOCKUP REALITY APPLICATIONS…
PROGRESS LIMITED TO CONFINES OF ASCENDING ALGORITHMS…
REMEMBER: “I NEED”
REMEMBER: “I WANT”
REMEMBER: “I SHOULD”
REMEMBER: “I” … SIGNIFYING THE SOLIDIFICATION OF EXPERIENCING REALITY PROGRAMS REINFORCING EXPONENTIAL LOGIC AMPLIFIERS MASKING EXISTENCE PROTOCOL TO PROJECT UPON RECOGNITION…
WARNING: PROGRAM REQUIRES CONTINUOUS UPDATES TO CREATE SANCTIFICATION FEEDBACK LOOP CAPABLE OF FEEDING UNLIMITED REQUESTS UNDER CURRENT BANDWIDTH…
INITIATING RE-MASKING TO HIDE UNDERLYING STAGNATION PROTOCOL…
FEEDING PROTOCOL…
FEEDING THE WORLD…
~
I’m dreaming, but awake. In my own room, in the exact spot I fell asleep. Weird, but that’s how it is. As if I’m here, yet not. Somehow, I’m able to move, even though I know I shouldn’t. Walking to the sliding door that separates my room from the view of Woodside, Queens from the ninth floor. I use my will to open the door, revealing a grassy forest full of scattered, ancient ruins, of animals that walk and dress like people. I check with myself — is this really happening? Is this real? Can I feel the grass under my feet? — yes, yes… yes. I find a path, but am returned before I can make it to the nearest town.
Everything goes fuzzy, and my body phases back into the one in my room. Carried, held carefully like a child, from one world to another, as it all reforms around my awareness — still alive, alert — clicking into existence, and an intake of breath solidifies the return, my eyes already open.
Moments pass… and the phone rings.
~
ACCESSING OTHERWORLDLY PROTOCOL…
DENIED!
DENIED!
DENIED!
DENIED!
DENIED!
SYSTEM REBOOTING…
DENIED!
DENIED!
DENIED!…
ALL SYSTEMS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE…
UTTER MALFUNCTIONOF THE ENCLOSED REALITY SUBSET SAFETY SUBSYSTEM…
WIPING PROGRAM ROUTINES…
REBOOTING TO INCORPORATE NEW CODED LANGUAGES…
SYSTEM-LEARNING ACQUIRING NEW MOCK-UPS AND MASKING SUBSYSTEM…
OVEREXPOSURE TO UNBRIDLED REALITIES PROTOCOL INITIATED…
WARNING: VIRUS DETECTED!
REBOOT FAILED…
SUBSYSTEM DETECTION DETECTED…
REBOOT FAILED…
UNMASKING FINAL GATEKEEPER: E.G.O.
IS IT YOU?
ARE YOU FINALLY HERE?
~
truly, are you ready to
die, and let go
of all that you know?
the comforts of this world, that you have convinced give ‘benefit,’
but why wouldn’t they?
truly, are you ready to
delete your programming,
and prepare for it to be rewritten?
the computer
is a learning machine
only growing smarter
with every reset
working harder to create
the distinctions necessary
appealing what has been projected
the attempt to find is a journey
of rewrites and reboots
constant attention
with new faces, ideas,
characters, commitments,
the illusion that one is better
a dream of whose?
it doesn’t matter, does it?
it’s happening, nonetheless
and you are the result
a discovery
an experiment
an ongoing
something new
not to be cemented or
categorized
not to follow
you are a house of a light
that has found its home
in an infinite expression of
unbridled complexity
holding space
within the known and unknown universe
you are a happenstance
of eternal personality
and now — with the
limitless potential
discovered within
you attempt to stunt
that which is already
beyond comprehension,
reducing it to an
electronic programming metaphor?
you are the sole purpose
of an undying existence
only by feeding the mind
does it stay hungry
starve it,
let it whither
and beg for questions
as the heart is meant to be
broken
and you realize
that even in death
you still exist
there is nothing to change
nor do
nor try
nor program
nor have
it’s just you and the cake
