Poem: "Sex Objects"
This poem is from the February 6, 2018 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette.
"Sex Objects"
People grow attached to their iPhones.
They always have the thing in their hands,
its blue and white light reflecting on their faces,
giving their skin a zombielike cast.
Perhaps it's just the tendency
of the human brain to incorporate
everything the body touches routinely --
glasses, wedding rings, wheelchairs --
into the homunculous of self-image.
Then again, perhaps it's more,
objectumsexuality arising from
the habitual use of the iPhone
activating the brain's pleasure center
better than human interaction does.
The iPhone ceases to be
merely a tool and becomes
an extension of the self,
blue-white and lurid.
* * *
Notes:
The brain can incorporate inanimate objects into the self-image, such as a prosthetic arm or various tools. The more frequent the use, the more thorough the integration -- hence why separating people from their mobile phones now causes distress.
Objectumsexual: Someone who is sexually attracted to inanimate objects. (In this sense, this is not a fetish, for the person sees the object as a partner, not a way to enhance a separate sexual relationship with another person)
"Sex Objects"
People grow attached to their iPhones.
They always have the thing in their hands,
its blue and white light reflecting on their faces,
giving their skin a zombielike cast.
Perhaps it's just the tendency
of the human brain to incorporate
everything the body touches routinely --
glasses, wedding rings, wheelchairs --
into the homunculous of self-image.
Then again, perhaps it's more,
objectumsexuality arising from
the habitual use of the iPhone
activating the brain's pleasure center
better than human interaction does.
The iPhone ceases to be
merely a tool and becomes
an extension of the self,
blue-white and lurid.
* * *
Notes:
The brain can incorporate inanimate objects into the self-image, such as a prosthetic arm or various tools. The more frequent the use, the more thorough the integration -- hence why separating people from their mobile phones now causes distress.
Objectumsexual: Someone who is sexually attracted to inanimate objects. (In this sense, this is not a fetish, for the person sees the object as a partner, not a way to enhance a separate sexual relationship with another person)