‘Cloud Musings,’ a poem by Andrew Bambrick

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Andrew Bambrick, left, celebrated his birthday Friday at the Perry Perk coffeehouse by sharing a Bambrick family photo from 1895, which included a band of gypsies. Celebrating with Bambrick were, from left, Doug Latham, Gary Becker and Bob Rounds.

Cloud Musings

The cloud, internet’s invisible twin,
Became humankind’s ever-expanding memory locker.
Heralded as a communication panacea.
Accolades quickly followed: instant connectivity,
Colossal business opportunities, a pathway to
Utopia with reach.

When the cloud darkened,
Hackers with their skeleton keys
Made web users their potential prey.

Voyeurism was transformed into a virtue and a right.
Privacy shrinkage was inevitable.

Brittle ego web users bombarded
With group-think mobs felt pressured
And encouraged to make life-extinguishing acts.
Guilty agitators’ tweets
Were perfunctory, anonymous and without
Heartfelt remorse.

Intimate sharing with web friends a priority.
Neighborhood acquaintances unpromoted.
Defriending notifications mercurial and spontaneous.
High-risk tele-encounters just a flash and gone.
Multiple identities impossible to maintain.

Thoughts and feelings sealed in emojis
Lose subtleties of communication.

Impossible to disinvent the twins.
Blessing or curse
It remains an open question.

1 COMMENT

  1. What a great poem by a great person, but he still didn’t tell how old he really is. Happy birthday, doctor, from your friend, I hope, Jack Shelker

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