Sunday, August 26, 2018

the trenches, somewhere in the future

Science fiction is one genre of literature that I like, and read widely. So it is only natural that I do a science fiction poem. This was written originally for a prompt at dVerse, a poetry community, the theme being "Where in the World?" and it asked the reader to "write a poem that creates or evokes another world". Then it squatted in my hard drive, like an Alien egg waiting to hatch. I wonder how many more "sci-fi poems" are still lurking there. :)




photo by chelle
image from morguefile.com



the trenches, somewhere in the future


we watch
the deadly arcs
of the ICBMs
curving over
the clouds
like a scimitar
on their way
to pulverise
a city

then get back
to the grisly task
at hand
tossing
the enemy wounded
into the ditches

no crosses
for the fallen
we sweep
a flamethrower
over them
for good measure

the black oily clouds
from their plastic
and metals
cling to the trenches
like a dark shroud.

and then

we sit in our
assault vehicles
check our weapons
send out
the spy drones
and wait
patiently
for the next wave
of enemy androids.

war was never the same again
since the humans sent us out

robots

     against

robots.




written 25/08/08
revised 09/06/12
**************






“I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded.”

-- Stephen Hawking, in an interview with the BBC



Shared on Poetry Pantry #417 at Poets United.





©cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2018

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14 Comments:

Blogger Sherry Blue Sky said...

This is an interesting scenario. Last night on the news, they showed a drone that can detect and immobilize enemy drones. So you are right on target with this poem.

26 August, 2018 22:06  
Blogger Jae Rose said...

Great piece of fantasy writing

26 August, 2018 23:07  
Blogger Mary said...

Maybe this IS the future. Could be really. Not so far fetched.

27 August, 2018 01:38  
Blogger A Cuban In London said...

Love both the poem and the quote. :-)

Greetings from London.

27 August, 2018 05:26  
Blogger Gillena Cox said...

Wow this is intense. Humans still creating war inticing the robots.

Happy Sunday Cheong Lee san

Much🌻love

27 August, 2018 05:59  
Anonymous dsnake1 said...

Sherry,

scary, right? drones are already hunting and killing enemy combatants with the controllers hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.


Jae,

thank you! :)


Mary,

i think this is where we are heading. as AI is becoming more sophisticated, with complex algorithms, written for these robot, Hawking's words may prove chillingly true.

27 August, 2018 12:26  
Anonymous dsnake1 said...

A Cuban in London,

thank you! the quote is pretty chilling, eh? :)


Gillena,

humans will find creative ways to wage war. :(

27 August, 2018 16:08  
Blogger Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

The flame-thrower startled me. And then came the gradual revelation. Masterfully done ... and the scenario seems all too likely.

27 August, 2018 16:55  
Blogger Sanaa Rizvi said...

Oh this is wonderfully surrreal and futuristic! I hope we humans steer clear of death and destruction..

27 August, 2018 20:30  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

Rosemary,

:)

i think it's a good chance the future is heading that way, maybe the superpowers are already planning or working on that.


Sanaa,

thank you!
we can only pray and hope on that...

27 August, 2018 21:07  
Blogger Julian said...

I like the way you have written this as gives a fast pace to what may well come. Quite a scary reality!

28 August, 2018 01:47  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

just a bit of crystal ball gazing, Julian. :)

28 August, 2018 15:07  
Blogger Susan said...

A new ending for "I, Robot"? Accept for the revelation of robots, however, this is shocking as a realistic scene of war with mass graves and cities in rubble. A frightening world. BTW, I have written many Scifi poems, and love the genre!

28 August, 2018 20:33  
Blogger dsnake1 said...

:)
yes, it seems that the robots in my poem were designed only with the 3rd Law of Robotics!
glad to know of someone who likes science fiction too, and writes sci-fi poems. yah!

30 August, 2018 20:58  

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