Futurethought

Pondering on the future

What will the freeway sound like in an electric future?

Will robots bump into each other as they follow their pedestrian?

If we can send our hologram to attend,
will we still go anywhere?

Will farmers put hats on scarecrow drones?

Does the gas station charge for a premium charge?

Can the past be visible through a dense future?

Is it possible to use every combination of words
and notes?

Will our personal bubbles pop in the expanding heat?

Who will get spacesick on a cruise to the moon?

When the planet dies, will we move?

2022

Author's Note

I had just finished this and turned on the news to see a hologram of the Queen in her carriage because she couldn't attend. At the grocery store I see a woman who has a robot that follows her a few paces back. About the size of a large cooler. You can sit on it. I expect everyone will have one. When I was in grade school we were shown a movie called Futureshock. It was my introduction to things like climate change, homosexuality, urban blight and industrial pollution. I hope our future is more thought than shock.

Reviews

[Temperance]

Currently we have computers asking if we are a robot when we log into some apps. Technology is advancing, as you brought to the forefront in your poem. There are retinal scans and fingerprint scans. Electric vehicles trying to become the norm with still no idea on how to recycle or dispose of the used batteries. It’s moving faster than it needs to and, faster than the infrastructure can handle. You have brought the future possibilities to us in your poem and, nicely done. Such a great awareness piece.

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks. Not sure if I want to call this a poem. I like that though ... awareness piece. Pieces of awareness.

[Cherrie Palmer]

How far away from 1901 have we traveled, and I'm certain 30 more years with be a real shocker.

[William Michael Reeves]

Tech moves at an exponential rate. We probably would be shocked ... by the future. And I guess the guy who developed calculus had all his writings erased by the church. They say we'd be a hundred years further along if that hadn't happened. Pathagorus I think.

[Chris Shaw]

I have to say the whole way technology is advancing scares the pants off me. It moves at rapid pace and you wonder what the hell will come next. Robots and drones freak me out. Made me think of that great movie Blade Runner. You pose many questions here Bill. Not sure I want to know the answers. I think I am a dinosaur :)) Good read.

Chris

[William Michael Reeves]

You just mentioned my favorite movie Chris! Timeless film. And Rutger Haur's performance at the end is so incredible. If you're not aware it's based on a book called 'Do androids dream of electric sheep?' by Phillip K. Dick. As we get older and time seems to move faster because there is more behind us, the new takes us by surprise. I was so surprised to see that hologram of YOUR Queen. (We love the queen too over here) I see all the things I thought I might see in the future when I was a kid, but didn't consider that all of the past would be mixed in there. I was driving through downtown couple days ago and can't even see most of what was downtown because the new buildings are so dense. It is scary to think about how fast things are changing. But not all bad. Drones and electric cars and trips to the moon will enhance life ... once we get over the fear. Thanks

[Chris Shaw]

My all time favourite film too. Thanks for the info re the book. So pleased you enjoyed the pageantry of the 70th anniversary celebrations. The whole four days was knockout. Delighted you admire our Queen. Yes, it's fear of the unfamiliar. It is progress. Just have to deal with it :)

[William Michael Reeves]

Maybe Her Royal Highness could stay on the throne as a hologram!! ( I hope Charles does the right thing and defers to William so he can have a long reign. Feels like he would make a good King. Or so it seems from this side of the pond)

[Chris Shaw]

I agree with you, but Charlie boy isn't likely to do that. William will make a fine King and his wife is just perfect.

[William Michael Reeves]

Do find the book. It's very short. Not even a day's read and more political satire whereas the film is atmospheric (constant acid rain) and moody. Almost all of his books are amazing films. Minority Report and Total Recall to name a couple. A visionary! We need the Minority Report over here in America to handle the insane with guns in hand.

[Aura]

A futuristic write, full of questions that may not be answered for a while. But it's a scary thought, robots, holograms of us, scarecrow drones! That's creepy, but it seems as if that is what the world is heading towards. More technology, less need of the human race, humans sitting down, no work, killing us faster day by day.

[William Michael Reeves]

Hey there friend! I thought we were already. Hard to keep track as the circle widens. You probably know about that.

Closer and closer to the Matrix we get! Now that's a scary future! It's a stretch to call this a poem but I tried to phrase the questions eloquently or with a touch of humor. When I saw the report about farmers using drones to scare off birds it was a good idea I thought. What crow is going to eat the corn if it gets zapped every time it makes a move. The hat would make it creepy though. There's an excellent short story that was written in the late 1800's called 'Revolt of the pedestrians'. The lower class walked on their feet. The upper class spent their lives in chairs.

[Aura]

The drones posing as scarecrows was a real idea?! I thought you made that up as part of your ideas for the piece, yikes! Never would've thought it was a real idea. But I guess it's good for the farmers because less crop would be destroyed by crows... I guess we can say goodbye to scarecrows, imagine the wizard of Oz but instead of the scarecrow, the character becomes a scare drone...

[William Michael Reeves]

I almost said something about Oz! And the wizard was a hologram! The Tin Man will have an electric heart and need no oil. Toto will be a clone and the Cowardly Lion will have the courage to save the children of the Emerald City! We better write a poem about that!!!

[Aura]

Haha you took this to the next level, I like where your heads at! I never ven thought about the wizard in the wizard of Oz, that's so interesting though, even though the movie was made in 1939, they still had a futuristic idea and used holograms for the wizard. I wonder if Tesla will make that electric heart ;) who knows what humans will work with in thr future.

[William Michael Reeves]

To have a conversation with Elon Musk!! I wish

[Aura]

It'll cost an arm and a leg... the cost to live will go up, not the cost of living, to cost to actually be alive and live

[lightsong]

What I see in the future is, humans becoming robots 🤷🏻‍♀️

[William Michael Reeves]

Interesting you brought that up. I've seen a lot of movies recently on that very subject. But what prompted this poem was a report about farmers using drones to scare away birds and pests. Calling this a poem might be a stretch. But like I said in the last poem poetry can be anything! Thanks Gouwnie

[lightsong]

Poetry... Poetry... Poetry.... Gouwnie is having such an evening.... Wiiieeeee...

[William Michael Reeves]

Oh, should I be reading something that you've been reading?

[lightsong]

NO! I am reading right now, NO WATER AT THE HOUSE and another, THE NASTY NASTY NEIGHBORS... and both I DON'T RECOMMEND!

[William Michael Reeves]

I need to get back to my morning so won't read your evening recommendations that will probably give you nightmares tonight while I write today and ... write you in the morning. Night!

[lightsong]

The neighbor alone is a living nightmare! She can kill us both in daylight and night!!!! I'm going to vent this out of my system~ see You this evening~ tomorrow's morning~