[Joseph Ward]

 

I accept with regret that

I have an infinite sum

 

of circle-centers

from which some three – sixty, snap

choices radiate

 

which exasperates the scope

of my attention to cope

 

and evaluate

every possibility’s

complete magnitude

 

of each step I take that helps,

or will forsake, my life’s aim

 

to tame the flame of

animalistic cravings

with humanity’s

 

employment of ahimsa.

And yet, these past reflections

 

that we’ve spent was meant

to ease away my trauma’s

effect on my flawed

 

judgement regarding Tina’s

dilemma. What I must see

 

is that she’s like me.

She, like I must abide by

principle over

 

her tangible attentions.

The three hundred and sixty

 

concrete tangibles

are calmly manageable

with application

 

of accurate principles.

She, like I, must abide more

 

reflection to gain

a more sane understanding

that all principles

 

clarify tangible acts

into codified, clear chunks

 

of abstract knowledge

that debunk the madness of

the mess of choices

 

that beset each of my steps

but are diminished quickly,

 

finished off, by the

guiding principle I’ve learned

to discern acute

relationships that equip

your cause-effect detection

 

of actions that are

consistent with the correct

principle that will

 

supplant all tangible acts

except the one that complies.

 

The application

of principles to the cause-

effect streams that are

 

deemed pertinent to your quest

best removes unwanted mess

 

by focusing more

on what is needed over

what one is wanting.

 

[Marlene]

 

Precisely, but then you must

contend with the subtlety

 

shown adequately

in the mathematical

principle of the 

 

order of operations

in complex equations that,

 

if ignored, creates

a vortex of probable

grievous errors that

 

your quest can never afford.

History moved from atom

 

splitting forward toward

world wide proliferation

of nuclear death.

 

Then there’s the cause-effect stream

that can be gleaned easily

from the esteemed world

of computer advancements.

Nineteen-eighty-two

 

saw more than a few brand new

Commodore Sixty-fours sold

 

in retail stores with

a price which a great many

people could afford

 

to explore the power of

computing technology

 

increasing human

potential to crunch mega

amounts of data

 

and program that cheap machine

to follow an iron clad

 

routine to achieve

the programer’s desire

void any ardor.

 

Increased participation,

demanding more programing,

 

entices bright minds

to find more advanced uses

that introduces

 

more shattered barriers with

more blurred boundaries between

 

human consciousness 

and technological bliss

of efficiently

 

calculating perfection

in the application of

 

tangible hard facts

from vast amounts of data

at inhuman speeds.

A I was born and adorned

with accolades to perform

 

beyond the human

capacity to prevail

with such a snail’s pace

 

in the race to solve the world’s

existential, swift demise.

 

But, to no surprise,

“organoid intelligence,”

or O I for short,

 

sports the savior’s illusion

to savor the fulfillment

 

and contentment of

the hero who zeros in

the hidden quick fix

 

that sticks forever in the

cause-effect chain that sets up

 

the next outstanding 

technological gain for

human advancement.

 

Doctor Thomas Hartung has

already begun growing,

 

manipulating, 

and testing brain organoids

that mimic living

 

brains to discover huge gains

in the campaign to heal sick

 

humans that suffer

from Alzheimer’s and other

debilitating

 

diseases that aggravate

peaceful living, but this is

just the beginning

of organoid conversion

of stem cell neurons

 

with a speck of computer

tech that’s able to compute

 

brain-like functioning.

From Commodore Sixty-fours

grew the potential,

 

probable, ‘living,’ androids.

That’s something we can’t avoid.

 

Creativity

and invention are hallmarks

of humanity.

 

However, when order of 

operations doesn’t blend

 

properly the ill

fated consequences will

rend satisfaction

 

with severe unintended

consequences that may shear

 

hopefulness from well

intended human action

absurd to defend.

 

Cause-effect chains aren’t pop beads

to be popped and rearranged.

 

Cause-effect chains gain

strength with each new link that syncs

with the overall

 

flow like raindrops on brooks that

grow and go toward streams that beam

 

with more power that

gurgles and bubbles as it

hurtles over rocks

and large pebbles then, merging

into rivers surging with 

 

strong currents bent on

flowing with more energy,

finally to reach

 

the sea which these first raindrops

could not see nor feel the spree.

 

Chinese alchemists

wished to formulate a great

extract of exact

 

proportion for promotion

of immortality but

 

the gist of their quest

was twisted to assist death

with their gunpowder.

 

Like the gentle drops of rain,

gunpowder became death’s reign

 

over innocent

children in school unable 

to defend against

 

the rude rule of the A R

Fifteen’s stream of projectiles

 

that silenced their screams.

It seems that scientific 

inventions may twist.

 

O I’s good intentions may,

like raindrops and gunpowder,

 

manifest less than

the best for humanity’s

quest for advancement

 

since technological gains

significantly out pace

those attained by the 

sociological needs

that strain harmony.

 

Technology is the cart

before sociology’s

 

strong Percheron horse

that’s to pull, not push, workloads

of technology.

 

[Joseph Ward]

 

The horse before the cart is

old hat, outdated and could

 

be debated that

it’s meaningless ’cause farming

is now mechanized.

 

And, no surprise ! What’s this to

do with Tina’s dilemma ?!

 

[Marlene]

 

Precisely, well said.

You, Tina, meaninglessness

and humanity

 

rests in the shadow below

technology’s vast power

 

to shower us with

everything we need except

lasting harmony.

 

THINGS ring the Christmas bells that

swell with mechanized toys and

 

joys employed by those

who have while the have-nots

deploy tactics to

 

destroy the ill feeling of

harsh destitute poverty.

You know how Tina’s

family tried to survive

but could never thrive.

 

Why is it that we’ve spent time

to invent computers or

 

true android robots

with organoid life-like parts

but resist to start

 

the cause-effect chain that seeks

to restrain greed and the need 

 

for material,

external rewards to score

higher self esteem?

 

[Joseph Ward]

 

There’s eight billion civilians

on Earth from small nations and

 

large ones with daughters

and sons in varied stations

harried by large girths

 

or favored with strong muscles,

well cut, for petite females,

 

dainty, or strong, tall

beauties all of which compete

to out hustle and

 

tussle for what is needed;

not to be superseded

 

by the conceited,

wealthy, well placed, elitists.

Then there are all of 

 

the religions with diverse

dogmas, laws, rituals and

mantras dispersed with

doctrines of pigeonholed codes

of morality

 

exclusive within, but then,

alien to convictions

 

expressed by others.

In such a distressed, sacred

industry of hope

 

competing for followers,

how can the commoners not

 

engage in trade for

individuality,

not community?

 

Eight billion souls excited

to be united is just

 

complete lunacy.

Human animals are like 

all corporations.

 

They are territorial.

 

[Marlene]

 

Well said; fine presentation.

 

You’ve accurately

fed me a good description

of humanity’s

 

current condition, but you

have failed to comprehend that

 

insanity’s not

what I intend to convey.

Suffice it to say

 

that Tina’s dilemma is

the potent kernel that is

the true internal

manifestation that tests

society’s quest

 

to tackle the external

demonstration of Tina’s

 

tough struggle to choose

the correct cause to effect

better solutions

 

to remove the dark fetters

that hamper her movement toward

 

the betterment of

her bleak living conditions.

Society’s in

 

the same predicament but

with a caveat that ought

 

to be understood.

Society is more than 

one person choosing.