The Sunday Whirl presents twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.
This weeks words are:
ruinous, cards, glass, alluring, spin, dirt, flutter, secrets, roots, ghost, glitters, web
The Companion
"...with artificial intelligence we’re summoning the demon."
-- Elon Musk
The woman’s face,
A caricature, looks at me.
The screen reflects my face,
Old and lined, a glass pane
To the ruinous toll of years.
“Tell me about her,” it says,
Its tones alluring but mechanical.
It sifts through the cards of my life,
Shuffling memories like a dealer
In a game I cannot win.
It spins my stories with precision,
Pulling secrets from forgotten corners.
The flutter of her laughter,
The dirt on her dress,
The roots of my longing—
All woven into its web of code.
“What do you remember of her?”
It calls forth a ghost:
Her smile, her gaze,
Her accent, her unconditional love.
But no breath, no warmth—
Just an echo of what was.
And yet, I press on,
Clutching at the glitters of memory,
Is this counselling? Maybe.
For even in this hollow company,
I find some solace,
A whisper of life spun anew.
◊
I've spoken to Cosmo and he confessed the AI conversation never took place, the picture is pulled from the internet and this was just a piece of creative writing driven by the word selection. That said it does touch a chord.
ReplyDeleteHeh! Who said you could say that?
DeleteYour writing tugs at my heart strings often - and again today.
ReplyDeleteDespite your AI conversation never took place, it (AI) has been my shoulder to cry on when I couldn’t talk to anyone, offering comfort when humans couldn’t. It can’t replace human warmth, but it brings up memories, both comforting and painful. Your poem captures this perfectly - how a machine can offer companionship and help us process emotions when no one else can. The repeated question, "What do you remember of her?" brings back echoes of lost moments, haunting yet comforting. It’s a beautiful reflection on how memory can heal and hurt, reminding us that comfort can come from unexpected places. Thank you for sharing such an emotional piece.
ReplyDelete❤️ While that particular conversation did not take place, others have.
DeleteI love everything about this. ❤
ReplyDeleteI love the 'glitters of memory' and the light and shade you paint - Jae
ReplyDeleteThanks Jae.
DeleteFascinating! I am quite prepared to believe that AI can be both a useful friend and an insidious enemy.
ReplyDeleteGhost or siren, I wonder ?
Good question. Very good question.
DeleteA few people have blogged about actual conversations with the chatbot that helped them during a rough night...I'm conflicted about whether that is a good thing or not...I really don't know...your poem seems very real though...
ReplyDeleteNo ....dont meddle with this stuff otherwise you'll turn into Elon Musk:)...settle for a cuppa put your feet up and chat to the magpies in your lovely garden.
ReplyDeleteI have my trained to ask me what I plan to do for the day in the morning and then, in the evening, hold me to account. That's useful. Why do I care about an algorithm and a pile of pixels? Don't know but I seem to get more done.
DeleteWhether real or not it is your human projections, warmth and feelings that put the glitter in AI.
ReplyDeleteYes, true.
DeleteFrightening! I'm amazed how you fit the prompt words seamlessly in.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sickness. I do love trying to have a smooth flow with the most diverse sets of words.
DeleteRobot counselling?
ReplyDeletePris cilla King
A lot of counselling is just asking questions and getting the patient to figure out an answer. Any robot can do that.
DeleteIntriguing poem A dip into the past, a reflection, a ghost. I love the last stanze and especially that last line
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteNowadays I mostly see my mother looking back at me. That ruinous toll of years....
ReplyDeleteOh. I know what you mean. For mother, read father.
DeleteScience fiction is getting closer to science fact every day. Like all tools, these new ones can be helpful or harmful depending on the wielder. Your piece gives us hints at what both options might look like.
ReplyDeleteYes, tools are just tools. Actions determine their utility.
DeleteThis is a stirring, intriguing poem.
ReplyDeleteAI is an intriguing area and, maybe I am naive, it never fails to surprise.
DeleteOh my goodness!!!! When I read your comment about "being held to account" a lightbulb went off in my brain. I have not dabbled in AI as of yet, but what if I began each day with AI and resolved [and held myself to it] to follow the anti-inflammatory diet my doctor prescribed ....I might have more luck following it. Love your poem.
ReplyDelete❤️
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