A TUESDAY FEATURE
host: Muskaan Ahuja
guest editor: Richa Sharma
Avatar Party
no one laughs
at his droll jokes
neon buddha
--- Michael Dylan Welch
(First published in the 2010 Jack Straw Anthology)
Curiously, in writing, one thing leads to the other. Kudos to our roving minds. I have never been a gaming or social media enthusiast, but have been mesmerized by artificial intelligence and robotics ever since childhood as I believe that technology if used ethically, can do much good. Only a few days ago, I was thinking of what might be an avatar party. Apart from its Sanskrit origin, an avatar is some identity or character you are, or you are not or would like to be, or never like to be. See how human consciousness is linked.
I am fascinated by the neon buddha series of ku by Michael Sir because surrealism in writing is one of the creative ways to experiment with selfhood, lives unlived, and symbols of imagination and, most of all, make this world a better place. Interestingly, like in the real world, decision-making in the virtual world too speaks a lot about ourselves. By exploring my identity through the structure of language, I can take a break from the often rule-based, boring, and judgmental social life. I mean, our hearts are almost always dissatisfied with how we are supposed to be in society, but this very world is the gateway. So, poetry and science have begun to offer flexibility. To balance the excesses of real life, having an avatar
seems to be a good idea.
Can you imagine what your digital twin would be like? Please write about any incarnations you ever imagined and what you wish to convey or act through them. Your avatar doesn't need to be from social media. The presence may be accompanying you from real life, guiding and protecting you like a guardian angel. So, here you go, but please don't forget that everything is the mind's creation, and only you oversee the center of your mind.
Enjoy!
Another favourite ku to welcome 2023 with everlasting peace, joy, and love.
wishing the holocaust never happened neon buddha
---- Michael Dylan Welch
(Wales Haiku Journal in August of 2020)
Thank you, and Happy New Year to all the readers and poets!