TIDINGS

upstairs at The Glad
shuffling into a little room
at the last minute
for a colloquy on complexity
we learn that
we are self-organized
into a super-confined space
and relieved to find seats
though we are unable
from the front row
to detect at this gathering
any coupling in compound systems
at the back there

as we ponder
the physics of failure
pints are plonked
next to a magic box
projecting the past
onto the wall

adjusting our focus as we go
we reel
from exploding spaceships
to the mysterious diffusion
of horse meat
across a bewildered Europe
where herded boffins
saddled with responsibility
parade box files of expertise
along a horse-shoe table

plagued by politics
and the choke-holds of commerce
our systems raise alarm

averse to dirt & dexterity
our de-skilled fingers
flit & fumble
on touch-screen toys

future generations
good luck permitting
may look back fondly
on the flightless hordes
ploughing runways for runner beans

or the Russian bikers
testing to destruction
the just-in-time system
losing to beta particles
on a chase through Chernobyl

what is it we need?
resilience & diligence
fail-safes & futured thinking
rationality
to re-cognize
the meaning of mistakes
the errors of our ways

unsure of science any more
the tickbird wonders
if she's backing the wrong horse

our answer must be
a wry no.

​