Better Than That
written by: Lou Storey
I am told
We are losing our capacity to remember
It’s called Digital Memory Syndrome
A friend questions “What’s Pi again?”
Google (noun & verb) remembers it for us
The irony
Of aging and memory
Of everything, really.
Perhaps there’s a phrase for that
I’ll have to Google Google and see
I collected things
Amassed memorabilia to fill every space
Then retirement relocated my life to landfill
Short phrases now store easily on my iPhone
Sitting snug beside my digital memory
Today’s phrase
“Better than that” -makes a demand
How does your mind fill in the blank?
I get “He can do…” (how others see me)
And “I can do…” (punishment, not pep talk)
Dogs (Wonderful dogs!)
Partnered to our species from the git go
Silent teachers intent on our salvation
What pitiful students we are, acting the master
Still they love, loyal, ears perked, expectant
Tail-wag watchers for signs of humility
Their K-9 hope
We can one day do better than that
Despite how much we lost to memory
Despite building a tower that tips disaster
Blindly in love with these damn smart machines
Stealing what little is left of us.
- All Hallows’ Eve Brunch - October 22, 2024
- Better Than That - August 5, 2024
- Bloom Above Thorn: a Sonnet - May 21, 2024