Harry Walker
poetry
intrusive thoughts of ecological collapse
Wet bare feet beat and slap hard down upon clumps of soaking wet moss,
Whilst drones fly above mountain vistas,
Low signal,
Prehistoric ridges prevent precise geolocation,
Air Raid Siren in the distance,
Oil slick in a stagnant pool gleams incandescence.
Didn’t download the appropriate apps,
Didn’t check the route when there was last signal,
Data harvesting reaps benefits,
Everything that’s known can be known,
Even if it doesn’t pertain to traversing undulating, uneven terrain.
Tracing the length of a naval with my index finger,
Across the bracken and the moorland intrusive thoughts linger,
Shallow fast flowing river clogged with debris,
Last night’s empty tinnies float downstream gently.
Wet bare feet beat and slap hard down upon clumps of soaking wet moss,
Whilst drones fly above mountain vistas,
Low signal,
Prehistoric ridges prevent precise geolocation,
Air Raid Siren in the distance,
Oil slick in a stagnant pool gleams incandescence.
Didn’t download the appropriate apps,
Didn’t check the route when there was last signal,
Data harvesting reaps benefits,
Everything that’s known can be known,
Even if it doesn’t pertain to traversing undulating, uneven terrain.
Tracing the length of a naval with my index finger,
Across the bracken and the moorland intrusive thoughts linger,
Shallow fast flowing river clogged with debris,
Last night’s empty tinnies float downstream gently.
Artist Bio:
I’m a theatre maker and poet from Hampshire, based in Scotland. My work is often concerned with articulating the complex and evolving relationships that we have with the internet and technology, as they become increasingly integrated into our daily lives. I’m currently studying a master’s degree in theatre and perforce at Glasgow Uni and hope to continue developing my work here in Scotland.
Instagram: harrywritesabit__
Twitter: @HarryWritesABit
I wrote this poem whilst walking around Brenachoile Point on the east bank of Loch Katrine, where Sir Walter Scott was inspired to write The Lady of the Lake. I was struck by the dramatic landscapes and wanted to contrast the serene imagery with my recurring feelings of anxiety about climate change, conflict and surveillance.