Y not
We are exploring alternatives in issue #152 of your weekly shot of fresh poetry
When did 'x'
become a placeholder
for anything and everything? Now
change is called for, let's start
using 'y'.
There was some online turmoil this week when a rich man killed a beloved blue bird and replaced it with a cross. A handful of people - the die-hard fans of this rich man - were cheering, many more were complaining. And a small handful of people were seeing it as proof we need new models. Online and in life. The past decade-and-a-half we saw the incredible rise of Web2. The social networks that grew from obscure experiments of finding the hottest girls on campus, or having a message on your screen when the coffee would be ready, to the largest companies on the planet owning our public discourse. The largest companies, run by one person. This is centralisation. One person not just controlling our public, online life, but owning it, too. Yes, that’s right. They own your Instagram posts, your TikTok vids, your Tweets, and even your Threads. You do not.
Fortunately, there is an alternative now. Even with the bad reputation of ‘crypto’, the foundations of Web3, as I like to refer to it, are different. Transparency, self-custody (you own what’s yours and are responsible for it) and, more importantly, decentralisation. That last thing basically means: one rich guy cannot on a whim decide to change everything and anything and take your account away from you.
Should we all move to web3, and start using decentralised platforms with social networks such as Farcaster and Lens? I don’t know about that. I think it would be a good idea. But the important thing is, with this and so many more things in our lives: we can choose. We can choose a different tool, a different path, a different destination.
Why not?
Three ways to support this inbox poetry magazine
Poetics in life
Can you use poetry as a journalistic tool? Well, why not? As I am enjoying the FIFA Women's World Cup, of course, I love the match reports. But what I love most are the stories, the quirky facts, the beauty of the game that are less visible. I believe using poetry is a great way to get these to the surface. And I am not alone. Last week I shared a link to what
is doing with the Tour de France. This week I am highlighting the work of my friend ||wordstobepoetry||. She has created a beautiful digital magazine in which she uses poetry to describe the experience of emerging yourself in music festivals. I’ve found surprising and familiar insights in it. It is very enjoyable. You can read the magazine |wordstobemusic| - vol.2 and even support her work by acquiring an edition. If you have an Ethereum wallet.
Poetry elsewhere
Love can surprise you. Maybe it arrives in a form you are not used to, you do not recognise. A form you never knew you needed. Love can come as a beautiful sunset to swim in, if I may be so bold to use the words of
in this beautiful post and poem. If love brings you hurt, you may need to find an alternative. Read this beautiful poem and post:
How does a poet write a poem? Well, that is as diverse as there are poets alive and dead. But this piece of art by
does not only has a wonderful poem in it, it also shows one way that beautiful poems come into existence. Experience Distillation of Typical Day by Timothy Green.I really enjoyed reading this poem by
. It is a great description of being tired. It’s well constructed, well written and tells so many stories. Enjoy:
I love this poem and pondering on the y and why not. Will be looking into Lens and Farcaster! Very interesting stuff. Thank you very much for sharing :) And for sharing my piece! Appreciate it!