What happens when a poem goes viral? This thought piece explores the tension between art and algorithm—and what it means to write truthfully in a world of likes, shares, and scrolling.
I love this! It also makes me think of the poetic traditions in Japanese, Urdu, and Arab cultures where folks sitting around a meal would compose spontaneous poetry. These flashes of beauty and insight were the product of hours and years spent working on their craft. There's a build up of poetic sensibility that can express itself in an instant, the way static within a cloud builds until it flashes as lightning.
I’ve marveled at similar questions myself. I’ve had writing/art go viral exactly twice. One that went viral here did not do well for me on other sites. Go figure. And I’ve had another go viral on Bluesky, (for me) and was the simplest of a poem. The only thing they had in common is they were both uplifting and were general enough to be relatable by many.
Poems are viruses. Unable to replicate on their own they wait silent on surfaces. Wait for your breath to inhale them, deep into the darkness inside you. Once there, a poem’s DNA will unravel. Break across your barriers. Traverse your cellular structure. Embeds itself, and replicates its essence endlessly until you must exhale more poetry.
I love this! It also makes me think of the poetic traditions in Japanese, Urdu, and Arab cultures where folks sitting around a meal would compose spontaneous poetry. These flashes of beauty and insight were the product of hours and years spent working on their craft. There's a build up of poetic sensibility that can express itself in an instant, the way static within a cloud builds until it flashes as lightning.
I see this virtual space as an evolution of those exact practices. When we build off of one another, we create magic.
Yes! Absolutely!
Thank You...O'wise One
With wisps of words i hear
Softly imparted
with resounding impact
Precise.
Loud.
And clear.
Beautiful. Thank you for reading!
I’ve marveled at similar questions myself. I’ve had writing/art go viral exactly twice. One that went viral here did not do well for me on other sites. Go figure. And I’ve had another go viral on Bluesky, (for me) and was the simplest of a poem. The only thing they had in common is they were both uplifting and were general enough to be relatable by many.
I think you hit a vein here. The purpose of poetry is to connect us, isn't it?
Poems are viruses. Unable to replicate on their own they wait silent on surfaces. Wait for your breath to inhale them, deep into the darkness inside you. Once there, a poem’s DNA will unravel. Break across your barriers. Traverse your cellular structure. Embeds itself, and replicates its essence endlessly until you must exhale more poetry.
Darn - it is a virus. I was infected by your post and wrote a spontaneous poem.
https://imarkanx.substack.com/p/viral-load