airplane modeairplane mode

where are we headed?
and i’m not talking politically

as a collective
we’ve become riddled with hate, addiction
and a general dissatisfaction with our lives

it’s sad to read the new ai updates
and think about how many more of us
are becoming wall-e’s human beanbags

the predictions we’ve been making are coming to life in front of our eyes
and all we can think about is how much of the residuals enter our pockets

on the bright side
we’re smarter than ever before

and we have the opportunity to take advantage of this in a significant way–reducing all-cause mortality, shortening the 9-to-5 workweek
and maybe even increasing global happiness

and although we are making progress
the mismanaging of this resource is palpable

the more i learn the more i recognize i inhabit an nth derivative of “reality”

the world is run by a few individuals on the backend
while the frontend convinces us we have free will

my bottom line?

i don’t want to optimize for a life
that maximizes the power broker’s lower bound

what am i signing up to optimize?
what systems am i making more efficient?
who am i helping—or, more curiously, who am i hurting?

can you tell i’m a computer science major?

i grew up in awe of steve jobs
and the world he created

now our devices have become a cheap replacement
for what we used to call connection

the crows
don’t ask questions
they offer suggestions
squawking out preference 
with shrill songs of dissidence

the crows
don’t beg you 
to heed their warnings
they remind you what’ll happen
if you don’t

lions and lemurs
are quite fond of the little crows
and don’t let them get started
about wasps and fleas

make haste!
you two armed creature
they exclaim
fly your own path
don’t pretend the crow over there
is who you were meant to be

after all
one direction
is an extinct boyband

or pretend not to follow
and drag your digits behind me
watch as these birds of prey 
quickly and quietly
eat you away

remember
fate is up to the fated
not the fearful

but before you agree
don’t let me 
shape you into someone
you’re not

after all
how would i have the map
to your key
when the door to mine
has eluded me
all this time?

in fact
if you think you know
where you’re going

could you point me in the right direction?

maybe all it takes is turning our phones off for a while
in fact, this week i’ve chosen to leave mine in the cupboard

you might find it interesting to do so too

because without the silence to think and reflect
how can we begin to understand how we actually feel?
and, as embarrassing as it is to admit
i am addicted to my phone again

and if anyone asks
what you did with your phone
tell them you’re on a long flight
you’re going back home.