‘The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed’ – William Gibson
We are living in the future,
you are living in the past.
Your desires no longer matter:
fall behind or catch up fast.
Asteroids are mined for water,
robots handle household tasks,
strangers swap electric scooters,
lovers wear full-body masks.
Chatbots churn out Joyce and Shakespeare,
masterpieces by the yard.
Everyone’s an illustrator,
consciousness is very hard.
Clubbers clad in neon glitter
monitor their lungs and heart,
satellites patrol the gutter,
homeless authors top the charts.
Tech and pharma take us further,
turn us into works of art:
seniors glow with youthful vigour,
test-tube mice glow in the dark.
Nuclear drones can fly forever,
AI snipers find their mark,
SeaBots home in underwater,
every target simulcast.
We are living in the future,
you are living in the past.
Our desires are all that matter,
only flux is built to last.
© Mark McGuinness, first published in Magma 55
Back to poems page