Dreaming in Japan

Written for Devons' Picture This group (Image 3 contest)

In the not too distant future, humanity depends on machines for dreaming. An ancient time traveler who visits the future states his experience in four haikus.

These were discovered written on a parchment buried somewhere. The original, in Japanese, is now not to be found, and is believed to have been lost in translation.

Binary dreaming

Silhouettes of broken words

Formed by noughts and ones

 

Humans in corner

Frozen in back drop of black -

Dream disconnected

 

Duplex code crisis

Insert discarded dreams here -

Dream machine breakdown

 

Instructions galore

New glowing green alphabets -

Lost in translation

Reviews

[Devons]

Each line reads like an individual 'sound-byte' which produces an image of what is going on in this science-fictional world the poem creates. To read the poem as an inter-connecting whole produces an abstract effect of chaos which -although less comprehensible- has a similar overall effect. In terms of this abstract form, I think the poem could exist independently from the introduction and therefore obviate it. However, the background that is set-up by this introduction is an interesting concept in itself and has a very topical bearing on the culture of the world today; almost like a warning. Regarding the introduction though, I think the words 'lost in translation' are diluted somewhat since they are repeated in the poem. The snatches of imagery are the crux of this work, though, and many lines have the power of titles in themselves; "binary dreaming", "formed by noughts and ones", "dream disconnected", "dream machine breakdown", "instructions galore", "new glowing green alphabets" - all have significant impact on the imagination, conjuring a futuristic complexity which relates directly to the technological highway human beings seem to be on. In fact, the entire piece reads like some kind of computer print-out for a trouble-shooting program, where the system has malfunctioned. Between the lines, the dark undertones of the effects this would have on the world are perceptible. Interesting work.

[Sweet_pale_cacophony]

I read yesterday another of my friend's poem on this image,it was outstanding and then i read this.I am only just thinking how can a single picture have so so many dimension.What you have written here is unique much different from what i had read.I love the intricacy,crispness of your words.I am completely captivated by the words here..very very good.

[Alana]

I really like the concept, I’m a sci-fi/fantasy kind of girl. I also like how humanity has lost the ability to dream, it seems so dire, and yet, almost fitting. We rely on technology for many things, the world is attached to their Blackberry’s and laptops. But what if this attachment, this immersion in the electronic world, ‘causes a lapse in creativity? Such a lapse, actually, that is causes the ability to dream to become extinct?
And so we use technology once more to supply us with the artificial, which we must make do with. It’s utterly fascinating.
I really liked the term “noughts and ones”, it added a level of sophistication, and set the tone of the poem.
I liked the internal rhyme also in “Frozen in back drop of black”, and also the image of us being in a corner. It’s interesting; instead of a computer in the corner of the room, it’s the human.
“New glowing green alphabets” reminded me of the Matrix :P
I like it. Exceptionally creative, and wonderfully presented. Perhaps technology is not at fault, perhaps a certain someone stole all the creativity and dreams from the world to combine with his own in order to create a super-talent. Hm, now I wonder who that certain someone could be?

[Crowley]

Great depiction of the image...Devon and Poppies image group writes are getting harder and harder all the time...great stuff is coming out of them and this is no exception. Nice job.