[Live Read] Established Connections

Themes

• Communication and Miscommunication: The poem repeatedly references the need to talk and understand, highlighting the difficulties and frustrations in achieving clear communication. Phrases like “constipation of conceptual understanding” and “wires crossed” suggest a struggle to connect meaningfully.

• Technology and Human Interaction: The use of technological metaphors, such as “silicone lies,” “chips,” “routers,” and “zeros and ones,” juxtaposes the mechanical with the emotional, suggesting that our interactions can sometimes feel as cold and calculated as machines.

• Isolation and Connection: There’s a sense of isolation despite the desire for connection. The imagery of missed connections and waiting for the next plane symbolizes missed opportunities and the longing to escape from current circumstances.

Imagery and Metaphors

• Constipation: This metaphor vividly conveys the frustration and blockage in communication.

• Wires and Chips: These technological elements symbolize the complexity and sometimes the failure of human connections.

• Planes and Stations: These travel metaphors suggest movement and transition, but also the potential for missed opportunities and disconnection.

Tone and Mood

The tone of the poem is introspective and somewhat melancholic, reflecting on the difficulties of understanding and being understood. The mood is contemplative, with a sense of longing and frustration.

Structure and Form

The poem’s free verse structure allows for a fluid and natural expression of thoughts and emotions. The lack of a strict rhyme scheme or meter mirrors the chaotic and unpredictable nature of communication.

Personal Reflection

The poem seems to reflect a personal struggle with understanding and being understood, possibly in a familial context, as suggested by the line “Are you on board mother.” The use of “I” and “you” creates an intimate and direct address, making the reader feel involved in the conversation.

Conclusion

“Established Connections” is a poignant exploration of the challenges of communication in the modern world, blending personal reflection with broader themes of technology and human interaction. The poem’s rich imagery and metaphors effectively convey the emotional weight of these themes, making it a thought-provoking and resonant piece.

——————————-

Established Connections

I hear you needed to talk,

A constant constipation of why I never understood

I needed to hear you talk,

A constipation of conceptual understanding

There’s something the matter with the matter between my ears

I hear the pitter patter of your heavy breathing and broken tears

Are our wires crossed?

Red crosses white and we made the wrong connections

Are you on board mother;

There is so much to process these silicone lies

We missed our connections,

Waited for the next plane to jump on and take us away from this place

Every one is on board except the one wearing my face

Tonal inflections and viral infections

There’s something the matter with the matter on my mind

Curious for answers, digging through your trash to see what I find

Are your chips all in?

Held down by the heat and the pins you’ve extended

Are you in this shell, barely holding it together?

There is so much to hold on to now

I needed to hear you talk,

Moving this information

Like the cars and the people

Are we headed to our next station?

Embedded in time counted by zeros and ones,

We get turned off to get turned on

Like our backs when nobody was watching

Embedded in time our count has begun

If we reroute our routers,

Then the message crossed,

Cross platform, channels stay the same

We crossed bays and the message was lost