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)

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