We build our Computer Love²
We have come a long way to Nowhere
Unwillingly dragged by that Monstrous
Technical Industrial Giant called Progress³
Half Digital Animal – Half Child Hologram⁴
Robot must Move, Move Robot Move – but
Why? Move Move Move, Robot forever Move⁵
Machines Break down the Nerves, their Rhythm is
Different from Life’s Rhythm, their Steel & Plastic
Voice wedges itself between each Beat of the Heart⁶
Oh Look it becomes Virtual – the Fingerprints are
Lifted off, its little Stain – No one’s need is on it:
It’s Clean, Never has been or will be, Touched⁷
The V-Programmer uses me to do His Story⁸
Machinery Obliterates all Distinctions⁹
It could all be Done or Left Undone
Just as well by the Machines¹⁰
¹ Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
² Neil Young, Revolution Blues
³ Rodolpho “Corky” Gonzales, I Am Joaquin
⁴ Olga Ravn tr. Martin Aitken, The Employees
⁵ Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow
⁶ Tom Hennen, Winter Nap
⁷ Jorie Graham, Exchange
⁸ Ursula K. Le Guin, Paradise Lost
⁹ Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels tr. Samuel Moore, The Communist Manifesto
¹⁰ Hermann Hesse tr. Basil Creighton, Steppenwolf