POETRY

SciFaiKu — The Last Journey

After seven years of service, the supercomputer “MIRA” performed one last simulation of our universe. This scifaiku poetry series commemorates her “last journey” before retirement and replacement by the AI Aurora.

Photo by @jeremythomasphoto Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

A.I. please show me
bright stars engulfed within
dark matter haloes

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​gaze back and forward
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​MIRA MIRA on the wall
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​universal history

science watches god
a simulation of time
gravity-only

as galaxies form
within haloes of dark matter
the last journey ends

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​MIRA shuts her eyes
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​gravity journey over
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​Aurora arrives

Wendy Van Camp is the Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, California. Her work is…