Poetic Perceptions

In Culture, Poetry by Akouavi Abok

I.
An image unlike myself—


Who am I?
  Liked..? 

Staring at my reflection,
  the algorithm’s bride.

II.
Who am I?
To be loved is to be seen:
  in sickness and in health,
  in data, never flesh.

III.
Reduced—
  a profile, pixel-pale,

       A life…

Picture perfect
  a wound behind the glass.

IV.
Loved.
  Yet… full of hate.
A story eats me whole.

Lust and Consumption

A fire 

Fearsily flickering..

A hunger with no mouth 

Am I…. In  Love 

The screen glows… yes ?

“When can I see you”

….read

 A swipe, A stare 

A currency of want.

Do you… love me?

The algorithm hesitates.

A like 

Can I be loved? 

The idea of you,  

A ghost I made 

Can I… Love?

Dehumanization and Disposability

I.. am  

Half-lit,

 blurred at the edges 

My reflection staring back at me 

My hands pixelated 

A snapshot turned static 

Trending now muted 

I am 

  lost 

My ghost wondering

Seeking… finding 

To be liked 

To be loved is to be seen 

Error 

no one can see me 

To be liked 

The screen glows shut

not even an ECHO

left to haunt the feed.

Alone… at last